Biosynchronous transdermal drug delivery for longevity, anti-aging, fatigue management, obesity, weight loss, weight management, delivery of nutraceuticals, and the treatment of hyperglycemia, alzheimer&#39;s disease, sleep disorders, parkinson&#39;s disease, aids, epilepsy, attention deficit disorder, nicotine addiction, cancer, headache and pain control, asthma, angina, hypertension, depression, cold, flu and the like

ABSTRACT

Systems and methods for longevity, anti-aging, fatigue management, obesity, weight loss, weight management, delivery of nutraceuticals, and treating hyperglycemia, Alzheimer&#39;s disease, sleep disorders, Parkinson&#39;s disease, Attention Deficit Disorder and nicotine addiction involve synchronizing and tailoring the administration of nutraceuticals, medications and other substances in accordance with the body&#39;s natural circadian rhythms, meal times and other factors. Improved control of blood glucose levels, extended alertness, and weight control, and counteracting of disease symptoms when they are at their worst are possible. An automated, pre-programmable transdermal administration system is used to provide pulsed doses of medications, pharmaceuticals, hormones, neuropeptides, anorexigens, pro-drugs, stimulants, nutraceuticals, phytochemicals, phytonutrients, enzymes, antioxidants, essential oils, fatty acids, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, coenzymes, or other physiological active ingredient or precursor. The system can utilize a pump, pressurized reservoir, a system for removing depleted carrier solution, or other modulated dispensing actuator, in conjunction with porous membranes or micro-fabricated structures.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

This application is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.14/268,725, filed May 2, 2014, which is a continuation of U.S. patentapplication Ser. No. 13/488,195, filed Jun. 4, 2012, now U.S. Pat. No.8,741,336, which is a divisional of U.S. patent application Ser. No.11/981,672, filed Oct. 31, 2007, now U.S. Pat. No. 8,252,321, whichclaims priority of U.S. Provisional Application Nos. 60/863,607(Biosynchronous Transdermal Delivery of Nutraceuticals), 60/863,608(Biosynchronous Transdermal Drug Delivery For the Treatment ofHyperglycemia), 60/863,613 (Biosynchronous Transdermal Delivery forLongevity and Anti-Aging), 60/863,618 (Biosynchronous Drug Delivery forFatigue Management), 60/863,640 (Biosynchronous Transdermal DrugDelivery for Obesity, Weight-Loss and Weight Management), 60/863,654(Biosynchronous Transdermal Drug Delivery for the Treatment ofAlzheimer's Disease), 60/863,666 (Biosynchronous Transdermal DrugDelivery for the Treatment of Sleep Disorders), 60/863,671(Biosynchronous Transdermal Drug Delivery for the Treatment ofParkinson's Disease (PD)), 60/863,677 (Biosynchronous Transdermal DrugDelivery for the Treatment of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD/ADHD)) and60/863,686 (Biosynchronous Transdermal Drug Delivery for the Treatmentof Nicotine Addiction), each filed Oct. 31, 2006. The contents of all ofthe above listed applications are incorporated herein in theirentireties by this reference. Application Ser. No. 11/981,672 is also acontinuation-in-part application of U.S. Ser. No. 11/162,525 filed Sep.13, 2005 and entitled Biosynchronous Transdermal Drug Delivery, now U.S.Pat. No. 7,780,981, which claims priority of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/609,418 filed Sep. 13, 2004, both applications alsobeing incorporated herein in their entireties by this reference. Thisapplication also relates to PCT Application No. PCT/IB2004/002947entitled Transdermal Drug Delivery Method and System filed Sep. 13,2004, published as WO 2005/039685 A1, which is incorporated herein byreference.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to transdermal devices and methods forcontrollable dispensing of a nutraceutical or an active substance suchas a chemical substance, a medication, a drug, a stimulant or the like,to a human or other mammal for purposes of promoting longevity, foranti-aging, for fatigue management, for treating obesity, for weightloss, for weight management for, delivery of nutraceuticals, and for thetreatment of hyperglycemia, alzheimer's disease, sleep disorders,parkinson's disease, aids, epilepsy, attention deficit disorder,nicotine addiction, cancer, headache and pain control, asthma, angina,hypertension, depression, cold, flu and the like.

RELEVANT BACKGROUND

Nutraceutical is a portmanteau of “nutritional” and “pharmaceutical” andrefers to foods thought to have a beneficial effect on human health. Itcan also refer to individual chemicals which are present in common foods(and therefore may be delivered in a non-drug form). Many suchnutraceuticals are phytonutrients.

Dr. Stephen DeFelice coined the term in 1989. The term has no regulatorydefinition, but it is commonly used in marketing. It is certainly not anew concept. Chinese medicine would be one example. Another would beHippocrates who is quoted as saying, “Let your food be your medicine andlet your medicine be your food.” Nutraceuticals are often used innutrient premixes or nutrient systems in the food and pharmaceuticalindustries. Nutraceuticals are sometimes called functional foods.

In contrast, medications are often closely regulated by governmentalagencies. Medications may be prescribed for any of a number of purposes,including minimizing or removing symptoms, treating or irradicatingdisease, preventing occurrences of disease outbreaks.

Both nutraceuticals and medications provide effective treatments for avariety of illnesses. It is often preferred that a nutraceutical, activesubstance or medication is applied at a certain time or with a certaintime pattern and in a manner that keeps the concentration ofnutraceutical, active substance or medication at a certain value toachieve a desired therapeutic result most efficiently. There are somedrug delivery technologies that are only able to release the activepharmaceutical ingredient (API) over a long period of time.Additionally, APIs can be partially or totally inactivated followingoral ingestion due to the highly acidic environment of the stomach or bythe first pass effect of the liver.

In order to overcome such problems, drugs are either administeredtransdermally through the skin (e.g., with a patch), or subcutaneouslywith an IV needle or continuous drip, these later two methods beingcommon parenteral methods for drug delivery. For a long-term treatment,the parenteral methods may be uncomfortable for the patient because ofthe repeated injury by needle injections and the limited liberty ofaction due to intravenous drip apparatus.

Transdermal therapeutic systems (TTS) or “patches” are a form oftransdermal drug delivery that is applied on the surface of the skin.Transdermal systems have gained acceptance, as a drug delivery platform,because they are portable, comfortable, and suitable for patients withdrug delivery in continuous dosages over a relatively long period oftime without requiring active participation of the patient.

In the last decade, portable dispensing systems have been developed toprovide a more flexible, precise and complex administration of drugs.Generally, the dispensing systems comprise a reservoir for a drug, adispensing unit, and a patch (or a membrane that is permeable to theactive substance, drug, or the like but relatively impermeable to asolvent in which the active substance is mixed in the reservoir). Thereservoir through the dispensing unit is interconnected to the patch.The dispensing unit controls the releasing of the drug in the reservoirto the patch. The efficiency for patch transdermal drug delivery dependsmainly on the diffusion rate of the effective substances through theskin. Maintenance of the concentration of the effective substances onthe patch is essential to achieve the desirable diffusion rate. However,it has proven problematic to effectively control the concentration ofsubstances on the patch in an effective manner. Further, it has provendifficult to provide an inexpensive portable device that allows a useror patient to easily refill the reservoir and to otherwise maintain thedevice.

In the field of drug delivery, it is recognized that supplying the drugin a correct temporal pattern is an important attribute of any drugdelivery methodology. Controlled release drug delivery systems areintended to improve the response to a drug and/or lessen side effects ofa drug. The recurring interest in chronopharmacology demonstrates thefact that biological rhythms are an important aspect of clinicalpharmacology and should be taken into account when evaluating drugdelivery systems (Hrushesky, W. J. Cont. Rel. 19:363 (1992), Lemmer, B.,Adv. Drug Del. Rev. 6:19 (1991), Redfern, P., Ed., “Chronotherapeutics,”Pharmaceutical Press: London (2003), Youn, C. B. J., Cont. Rel. 98 (3)337 (2004) and Youn, C. B. J., Ed., “Chronopharmaceutics,” John Wiley &Sons, New York (In preparation)).

The onset and symptoms of diseases such as asthma attacks, coronaryinfarction, angina pectoris, stroke and ventricular tachycardia arecircadian phase dependent. In humans, variations during the 24 h day inpharmacokinetics (chrono-pharmacokinetics) have been shown forcardiovascular active drugs (propranolol, nifedipine, verapamil,enalapril, isosorbide 5-mononitrate and digoxin), anti-asthmatics(theophylline and terbutaline), anticancer drugs, psychotropics,analgesics, local anesthetics and antibiotics, to mention but a few.Even more drugs have been shown to display significant variations intheir effects throughout the day (chronopharmacodynamics andchronotoxicology) even after chronic application or constant infusion(Ohdo, S. Drug Safety 26 (14) 999-1010 (2003)). Moreover, there is clearevidence that dose/concentration-response relationships can besignificantly modified based on the time of day. Thus, circadian timehas to be taken into account as an important variable influencing adrug's pharmacokinetics and its effects or side-effects (Bruguerolle,B., Clin. Pharmacokinet. August 35 (2) 83-94 (1998)).

Studies indicate that the onset of certain diseases show strongcircadian temporal dependency. This has led to the need for timedpatterning of drug delivery as opposed to constant drug release (LemmerB., Ciba Found. Symp. 183:235-47; discussion 247-53 (1995).

The term “controlled release” refers generally to delivery mechanismsthat make an active ingredient available to the biological system of ahost in a manner that supplies the drug according to a desired temporalpattern. Controlled release drug delivery systems may be implementedusing: a) instantaneous release systems; b) delayed release systems, andc) sustained release systems. In most cases, controlled release systemsare designed to maintain a sustained plasma level of an activeingredient in a drug within a human or animal host over a period oftime.

Instantaneous release refers to systems that make the active ingredientavailable immediately after administration to the biosystem of the host.Instantaneous release systems include continuous or pulsed intravenousinfusion or injections. Such systems provide a great deal of controlbecause administration can be both instantaneously started and stoppedand the delivery rate can be controlled with great precision. However,the administration is undesirably invasive as they involveadministration via a puncture needle or catheter.

Delayed release refers to systems in which the active ingredient madeavailable to the host at some time after administration. Such systemsinclude oral as well as injectable drugs in which the active ingredientis coated or en-capsulated with a substance that dissolves at a knownrate so as to release the active ingredient after the delay.Unfortunately, it is often difficult to control the degradation of thecoating or encapsulant after administration and the actual performancewill vary from patient to patient.

Sustained Release generally refers to release of active ingredient suchthat the level of active ingredient available to the host is maintainedat some level over a period of time. Like delayed release systems,sustained release systems are difficult to control and exhibitvariability from patient to patient. Due to the adsorption through thegastrointestinal tract, drug concentrations rise quickly in the bodywhen taking a pill, but the decrease is dependent on excretion andmetabolism, which cannot be controlled. In addition, the adsorptionthrough the gastrointestinal tract in many cases leads to considerableside effects (such as bleeding and ulcers), and can severely damage theliver.

Transdermal therapeutic systems (TTS) have been developed primarily forsustained release of drugs in situations where oral sustained releasesystems are inadequate. In some cases, drugs cannot be effectivelyadministered orally because the active ingredients are destroyed oraltered by the gastrointestinal system. In other cases the drug may bephysically or chemically incompatible with the coatings and/or chelatingagents used to implement sustained release. In other cases a transdermaldelivery system may provide sustained release over a period of days orweeks whereas orally administered drugs may offer sustained performanceover only a few hours.

In most cases transdermal delivery systems are passive, taking the formof a patch that is attached to the skin by an adhesive. The TTS includesa quantity of the active substance, along with a suitable carrier ifneed be, in a reservoir, matrix or in the adhesive itself. Once applied,the active ingredient diffuses through the skin at a rate determined bythe concentration of the active substance and the diffusivity of theactive substance. However, a variety of physical and chemical processesat the skin/patch boundary affect the delivery rate and may eventuallyinhibit drug delivery altogether.

The original performance target for controlled drug delivery is toachieve a zero-order release rate of the drug, so that a constantefficacious drug concentration is maintained in the blood plasma.However, more than two decades of research in chronobiology andchronopharmacology have demonstrated the importance of biologicalrhythms to the dosing of medications as well as determine the influenceof a patient's circadian or other biological rhythms on drug efficacyand efficiency. This research reveals that certain disease symptomsfollow a daily pattern, with peak symptoms at certain times of the day.It has been widely acknowledged that hormones, neurotransmitters andother intra-body compounds are released in different amounts atdifferent times of the day pursuant to daily patterns.

The new approach stems from a growing body of research that demonstratesthat certain diseases tend to get worse at certain times of the day. Bysynchronizing medications with a patient's body clock, many physiciansbelieve that the drugs will work more effectively and with fewer sideeffects. In some cases, the improvements have been so pronounced thatdoctors have been able to reduce dosages. Circadian physiologicprocesses have been found to alter drug absorption, distribution,metabolism, and excretion. As a result, drug doses need to be adjustedto meet the differing needs of target organs or tissues at various timesof the day (see, L. Lamberg, American Pharmacy, N831 (11): 20-23(1991)).

The continued interest in chronopharmacology shows the ever-increasingneed to develop technologies to control the temporal profile in drugdelivery. Research findings suggest that the onset and severity of manydiseases are cyclic in nature, or follow circadian patterns. Drugtolerance adds to the need for modulation of drug dosing profiles.Additionally, skin irritation and sensitization caused by medicationsmay require intervals during which no drug is administered. Therefore,this improved form of drug delivery will be very important to people whoneed medicine easily, painlessly and automatically delivered to theirbodies in timed increments (see Smolensk, M. H. & Lamberg, L. Body ClockGuide to Better Health: How to Use Your Body's Natural Clock to FightIllness and Achieve Maximum Health, Henry Holt & Company, New York(2001) and Grimes, J. et al., Pharmacol Exp Ther 285 (2): 457-463(1998)).

Active transdermal delivery systems have been developed to help regulatethe delivery rate by providing mechanisms to improve drug delivery overtime by “pumping” the active ingredient. One such system, (U.S. Pat. No.5,370,635), describes a system for delivering a medicament anddispensing it to an organism for a relatively long period of time, forexample at least a few days. The device can be adapted for positioningon the surface of the skin of a human or possibly an animal body inorder to apply a medicament thereto from the outer side thereof.Conventional transdermal systems circumvent the disadvantages of theadsorption through the gastrointestinal tract, but they do not optimizeor tailor the dosing regiment to offset peak symptoms. In addition theconstant transdermal delivery of a drug can lead to severe side effects,including debilitating sleep disorders and ever increasing tolerance.

A simple type of pulsed transdermal chronotherapy is a biphasic profile,in which the drug concentration changes from a high to a low level (orvice versa) over time. Although the system can be physically applied orremoved to alter the drug level, patient compliance With this proceduremay be difficult, particularly during inconvenient hours. To generate abiphasic profile, the delivery system may utilize an external regulator,as described in Fallon et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,456) whichillustrates a device for drug administration through intact skin thatprovides an initial pulse in the flux of the drug through the skinfollowed by a substantially lower flux of drug through the skin.Additionally, Fallon et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 5,820,875) later describe adevice for the administration of a drug through an area of intact skinover a period of time in which the flux of the drug through the skinvaries temporally in a controlled manner. The device is such that theskin flux of the drug varies in a controlled manner over the period ofadministration, typically from a high flux in the initial stage ofadministration to a lower flux in the later stage of administration.

Transdermal temporally controlled drug delivery systems, proposed byGiannos et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,068,853) coupled pH oscillators withmembrane diffusion in order to generate a periodic release of a drug oractive ingredient transdermally, without external power sources and/orelectronic controllers. The intent was to address chronotherapy with apulsatile transdermal system. The strategy was based on the observationthat a drug may be rendered charged or uncharged relative to its pKavalue. Since only the uncharged form of a drug can permeate acrosslipophilic membranes, including the skin, a periodic delivery profilemay be obtained by oscillating the pH of the drug solution (see Giannos,S. A., “Pulsatile Delivery of Drugs and Topical Actives,” in “SkinDelivery Systems; Transdermal, Dermatologicals and Cosmetic Actives”,Edited by John. J. Wille, Jr.: Blackwell Publishing, Oxford UK (2006)).

Recently, an orally administered drug for arthritis treatment hassuggested a chronotherapeutic approach using a delay release system. Thedelay is scheduled to release the active ingredient at the beginning ofan interleukin 6 cascade that is believed to cause early morningstiffness in rheumatoid arthritis patients. By attempting to synchronizethe drug delivery with a biological cycle it is believed that low dosesmay be used to achieve desired results. However, this system does notovercome the limitations of delayed release systems described above.

Although it is possible to meet the requirements of chronopharmacologyand pulse a medication with pills, this requires an enormous amount ofdiscipline by the patient to comply with the treatment regiment, see forexample, U.S. Pat. No. 6,214,379, which is incorporated herein byreference. As illustrated earlier, to achieve optimal results, manypatients may need to wake up during the night to take their medication.Hence, what is needed is a non-invasive, reliable means of deliveringdrugs compounds in precisely timed and measured doses-without theinconvenience and hazard of injection, yet with improved performance ascompared to orally delivered drugs.

Addressing patient compliance (taking the proper dosages at theprescribed times) is another critical problem facing caregivers andpharmaceutical firms alike. Studies show that only about half ofpatients take medications at the times and in the dosages directed bytheir physician. It is reported that each year, 125,000 deaths and up to20% of all hospital and nursing home admissions result from patientnoncompliance. It is estimated that non-compliance results in additionalhealthcare costs in excess of $100 billion per year in United States.These figures are even more pronounced for the elderly.

An individual's failure to comply with a dosing regimen, e.g. failure totake one or more doses of a drug or taking too many doses, will have anadverse impact upon the success of the regimen. Individuals may fail tocomply with their drug-dosing regimen for a number of reasons. Forexample, drug-dosing regimens, such as every 4 hours, i.e., 8-12-4-8involve a rigid dosing schedule that may be incompatible with anindividual's personal schedule. Such a rigid dosing schedule whencombined with normal human traits such as forgetfulness or denial of amedical condition, as well as a busy life, represent substantialobstacles to compliance with a drug dosing regimen. Accordingly, suchrigid dosing regimens often result in the failure by an individual totake one or more doses at the prescribed time. This has an adverseimpact on the levels of the therapeutic substance at the active site andconsequently on the overall efficacy of the therapeutic substance.

Hence, a need exists for systems and methods that increase patientcompliance for administration of a variety of nutraceuticals and/oractive substance (including, e.g., drugs). Also, there remains a needfor an improved patch-based (or membrane-based) delivery system for anutraceutical and/or active substance that is able to administrate thedelivery of a nutraceutical and/or active substance to a subject over aperiod of time in a controllable way. It is a preferable for such asystem or device to administrate the delivery of the nutraceuticaland/or or active substance in a pulsatile and scheduled manner, pursuantto a pre-programmed dosage delivery regimen, meaning dosage sizes andtimes can be automatically varied according to such pre-programming.

In addition to disease conditions, there are other conditions which alsomay benefit from a new controlled delivery methodology. For example,longevity is defined as long life or the length of a person's life (lifeexpectancy). Reflections on longevity have usually gone beyondacknowledging the basic shortness of human life and have includedthinking about methods to extend life.

Life extension refers to an increase in maximum or average lifespan,especially in humans, by slowing down or reversing the processes ofaging. Average lifespan is determined by vulnerability to accidents andage-related afflictions such as cancer or cardiovascular disease. Gooddiet, exercise and avoidance of hazards such as smoking and excessiveeating of sugar-containing foods can achieve extension of the averagelifespan. Maximum lifespan is determined by the rate of aging for aspecies inherent in its genetic code. Currently, the only widelyrecognized method of extending maximum lifespan is by calorierestriction with adequate nutrient supplementation. Theoretically,extension of maximum lifespan can be achieved by reducing the rate ofaging damage, by periodic replacement of damaged tissues, or bymolecular repair or (rejuvenation) of deteriorated cells and tissues.

Similarly, obesity is a disease that affects nearly one-third of theadult American population (approximately 60 million). The number ofoverweight and obese Americans has continued to increase since 1960, atrend that is not slowing down. Today, 64.5 percent of adult Americans(about 127 million) are categorized as being overweight or obese. Eachyear, obesity causes at least 300,000 excess deaths in the U.S., andhealthcare costs of American adults with obesity amount to approximately$100 billion.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The invention relates to drugs, pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals andother bioactive substances are delivered transdermally into a body in amanner that is synchronized with biological processes and/or biologicalrhythms so as to improve performance of the substance in the body. Theinvention also relates to overcoming active agent tolerance, which maybe experienced from continuous administration, improve patientcompliance, and in some cases reducing the amount of drug needed perdose due to advantages of biosynchronization.

The present invention describes a method for promoting good health andtreating a wide variety of conditions treating obesity, excess weightgain, and weight management Alzheimer's disease (AD) treating difficultand delayed waking in the morning Parkinson's disease (PD) treatingattention deficit disorder (ADD) and attention deficit-hyperactivitydisorder (ADHD) smoking and nicotine addiction in humans anti-aging andlife extension therapy for humans and mammals. This method involvestreating non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), hyperglycemiaand other glucose disorders in humans involving synchronizing andtailoring the administration of a wide variety of substances and drugcompounds with the body's natural circadian rhythms, or more notably auser's typical nicotine craving cycles in order to alleviate a myriad ofsymptoms of excess weight and obesity, conditions, for longevity, lifeextension or minimizing the aging process in humans, of morningdrowsiness and to counteract symptoms when they are likely to be attheir worst, to counteract symptoms of nicotine withdrawal and cravingassociated with cessation of tobacco or nicotine use, by use of anautomated and pre-programmed device. This invention relates toprogrammable transdermal delivery system for delivering a stimulantthrough the skin for short periods of time, in order to extend andimprove alertness, while at the same time allowing for easy deviceremoval and termination of drug delivery. The invention further relatesto the field of chronobiology in that the invention systems can bedesigned to modulate active agent delivery in accordance with biologicalrhythms. Drugs, pharmaceuticals, and other bioactive substances aredelivered transdermally into a body, in a temporal manner, that isincreasingly incremental, decreasingly incremental or a mixture of thetwo so as to purposefully modulate the active substance in the body.This system can utilize a pump or pressurized reservoir, and/or a systemfor removing depleted carrier solution, or other modulated dispensingactuator, in conjunction with porous membranes or micro-fabricatedstructures commonly referred to as micro-channels, with micro-needles,light, heat, iontophoresis, electroporation, sonophoresis and dermalabrasion (together referred to as mechanical permeation enhancement) ora wide range of chemical permeation enhancers and/or a wide range ofnano-structures and substances known as nanotechnology or anycombination of these techniques.

More specifically, these methods synchronize and tailor drugadministration to the human body's circadian rhythms or to delivervarying dosages at varying times. This ensures that peak concentrationsof nutraceuticals, drugs and/or chemical substances (collectively herein“active substance”) are present in the bloodstream to offset peakdisease symptoms arising from variances and fluctuation in the body'snatural circadian rhythms.

Further, this method ensures that less of a active substance is in thebloodstream when disease symptoms and conditions are at their lowest.Negative side effects can be minimized, while at the same time activesubstance efficacy is enhanced by the dosing regimen.

Embodiments of the present invention provide for a activesubstance-reservoir/patch based transdermal delivery device toadminister the delivery of a active substance to a patch or other drugreservoir adjacent to the membrane or in close proximity to the skin fortransdermal absorption that absorbs or is filled with the substance (theadministration reservoir) over a period of time or from time to time ina controllable and/or automated and programmable way. Significantly,these transdermal delivery devices include a reusable, active portionthat includes a control and display unit and an active dispensingmechanism, e.g., a micropump that is in some embodiments a speciallyconfigured peristaltic pump, a pressurized reservoir, a piezo electricpump, osmotic pump, infusion pump, syringe pump or other actuator.

Further, the transdermal delivery devices include a detachable anddisposable passive portion that includes a drug reservoir that isseparated from the administration reservoir and holds the activesubstance until the micropump or other actuator places the drug into theadministration reservoir for transdermal absorption and a couplingmechanism/assembly for mating with the active dispensing mechanism,e.g., when the active dispensing mechanism is a peristaltic pump thecoupling mechanism may include one or more elongate feed chambers (e.g.,flexible tubes) that are connected to the active substance reservoirand, in many cases, to the administration reservoir adjacent themembrane or skin or other material in contact with the skin. Thecoupling mechanism may be defined in part by the outer surfaces of ahousing for the passive portion, and these surfaces may include groovesor guides for receiving and supporting the active dispensing mechanism.In some cases, the outer surfaces of the housing define an arcuatesurface upon which the feed chamber or tube is disposed such that theshoes or other portions of the peristaltic pump can compress the tube tomove liquid from the dispensing reservoir to the administrationreservoir near the semi-permeable membrane or patch.

In addition, in the context of automated transdermal pulsatile activesubstance delivery, starting dosing or bringing the nutraceutical, drugor other active compound (collectively herein “active substance”) intocontact with the skin may be only one part of the necessary methodology.The other part of the methodology may be to stop dosing or to stoppermeation of the active substance through the skin. Stopping dosingautomatically is extremely useful in certain situations to start andstop dosing so as to achieve programmed pulsatile active substancedelivery. The present invention not only has dosing or deliveringmethodologies, but also methodologies to stop dosing or delivering in acontrolled manner.

More specifically, in certain embodiments where the stoppage ofpermeation or dosing is desired, the active compound or solvent isremoved from the administration reservoir to stop dosing and/or decreaseor end active substance permeation through the skin. In this embodiment,a active substance and/or solvent removal means is introduced(solvent/nutraceutical/drug removal means). In this situation, eitherthe above mentioned micropump or actuator (which may move gas or air) ora second micropump or actuator (which may move gas or air) will act toremove, and/or flush the active substance formulation or residual activesubstance formulation/and or solvent from the administration reservoirinto either into a waste reservoir or other area for evaporation orother removal. The first or second micropump or actuator, as applicable,may flush the administration reservoir with air, gas, inactive solutionand/or a combination of these. A heating element may also be present toeither aid in evaporation, if applicable, or to assist in permeation.

The inventive system or device allows for pulsatile transdermal activesubstance delivery, and the administration of differing sized dosages atdifferent times of the day automatically, pursuant to a pre-programmeddosage profile (e.g., a program stored in memory accessed by the controlunit). This system or device can be most advantageous when the pre-setor programmed active substance delivery profile corresponds to desiredpeaks and troughs in disease symptoms based on chronobiology and aperson's circadian rhythms. This system or device can also be highlyadvantageous in addiction management when programmed to coincide with aperson's peak addiction cravings. This system or device can also behighly advantageous when patient compliance with a particular deliveryregimen is a desired effect so that a person, whether forgetful,elderly, children, mentally impaired desires to ensure correct activesubstance delivery compliance. This device can also be highlyadvantageous when a person or physician a doctor wants to have a activesubstance administered in differing dosages while asleep automaticallywithout the need to wake up, or if the active substance being used is astimulant and the person does not want any active substance released atnight thereby causing sleep disturbances, but does want the device toadminister active substance shortly before waking so thattherapeutically effective blood plasma concentrations of the activesubstance are present upon waking.

According to some embodiments of the present invention, the devicecomprises a control and display unit, a dispensing mechanism, e.g., apump, pressurized reservoir or other actuator, a active substancereservoir, an administration element, and/or asolvent/nutraceutical/drug removal means (e.g., a desiccant orevaporative means), and/or a vapor removal element, when applicable, tothe embodiment a waste reservoir, and/or an additional micropump oractuator. Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of thefollowing features. The pump may be a peristaltic pump that includes amicromotor, a roller, a mounting plate, a tubing, and a housing. Asdiscussed above, the peristaltic pump is separated into two parts; thefirst part comprises the motor on the mounting plate and the roller(e.g., provided in the reusable portion of the device) and the secondpart includes the tubing and the housing (e.g., provided in thedetachable and disposable passive portion of the device). The micromotorand the roller are mounted in the device with the control unit. Thespeed of the micromotor is controlled by the control unit, so that theturning speed of the roller is controlled which, in turn, controls theflow rate from the dispensing reservoir to the administration reservoir.The tubing and the housing are detachable from the device.

Embodiments of the invention may include one or more of the followingfeatures. The tubing and the housing of the peristaltic pump and thedispensing or active substance reservoir are combined together,resulting in one, interconnected disposable and replaceable dosingelement. In other words, this disposable dosing element (or detachableand disposable passive portion) is a replaceable dosing capsule, whichcan be used for one or multiple dosings. This disposable dosing capsulecan be “snapped” into place prior to substance administration by thepatient or other health worker, and, after the active substancereservoir is exhausted, the disposable dosing element is “popped” out tobe disposed, and a fresh disposable dosing element is then “snapped”back into the device. The tubing is provided inside the body of thecapsule in some embodiments. One end of the tubing is connected to theactive substance or dispensing reservoir while the other end of the tubeis a fluidic adapter or distributor near the administration reservoir orarea near the patch or membrane. In certain embodiments, the wastereservoir, desiccant chamber capturing vapors evaporated from thenutraceutical/drug/solvent, tubing and analogous components of thesecond micro pump or actuator as the first pump mentioned above, agas/air cartridge and the administration reservoir may also be part ofthis snapped on or snapped off portion or may be disposable pursuant toanother means. Further, embodiments of the invention may include one ormore of the following features. The disposable dose capsule, theadministration element, and a nutraceutical/drug/solvent removal elementare connected and packed together as a disposable package, whenever thedosage is needed to applied to skin, the whole disposable package ischanged and replaced into the device.

More particularly, an apparatus is provided for selectively delivering aliquid, powder, or temporarily free-flowing solution (e.g., a activesubstance formulation or the like). The apparatus includes an activeassembly with a controller and a power source (e.g., a battery). Theapparatus further includes a passive assembly configured formechanically coupling and decoupling with the active assembly. Thepassive assembly includes a active substance reservoir containing theactive substance formulation to be delivered. The apparatus furtherincludes a micropump/actuator combination that acts as the dispensingmechanism with an active portion in the active assembly that provides amotive force to draw or otherwise move the active substance formulationfrom the active substance reservoir onto or into the administrationreservoir. The micropump/actuator or dispensing mechanism includes apassive portion provided in the detachable passive assembly so as to beproximate to the active portion of the micropump/actuator. The passiveportion defines a feed or delivery chamber through which the activesubstance formulation flows from the active substance reservoir when themotive force is applied to the passive portion. In some embodiments, themicropump/actuator includes a peristaltic pump with the active portionbeing made up of: a motor powered by the power source and operated bythe controller to control the motor speed and its time of operation; aroller with rotatably mounted shoes; a shaft contacting the roller anddriven by the motor; and a mounting plate supporting the motor. Thepassive portion, in turn, includes a housing with a guide slot orrecessed surface for receiving the mounting plate and roller so as toposition one or more of the shoes in contact with an outer surface ofthe feed chamber, which in some embodiments is a length of compressibletubing. The guide slot in these cases may include a curved surface andthe tubing is positioned between the roller/shoes and the curved surfacesuch that the motive force includes using the shoes to sequentiallycompress the tubing.

The passive assembly may further include an administration assemblyincluding an administration reservoir connected to the tubing to receivethe active substance formulation and a membrane adjacent to theadministration reservoir that is permeable to an active or effectivesubstance in the active substance formulation, but not or less permeableto a solvent portion of the liquid. In certain embodiments, an absorbentsheet (e.g., blotting paper or the like) may be provided in theadministration reservoir so as to distribute the received liquid in arelatively uniform manner over the surface of the membrane. In otherembodiments, instead of an absorbent sheet, the administration reservoirmay be or include a rigid or flexible, permanent or disposable substratewith a plurality of ducts, conduits or culverts that contain internalpassageways for movement of the active substance formulation and haveeither a series of openings or a single opening mounted on the membraneor skin or otherwise adjacent to the membrane or skin to allow theactive substance formulation to be absorbed or otherwise transferred orto move from the substrate ducts to the membrane or skin for transdermalabsorption. In this manner, the ducts, conduits, or culverts or in thissubstrate can be filled by the micropump/actuator with active substanceformulation originating in the active substance reservoir. Then, theseducts, conduit, or culverts can be flushed either by the first micropumpactuator or a second micropump/actuator into a waste reservoir orflushed into an area for evaporation to begin and stop dosing in anaccurate fashion. Yet further, a heat element may be provided in theadministration assembly near the administration reservoir to raise thetemperature 3 to 10 degrees Celsius over a dermal temperature to enhancetransdermal permeation and/or diffusion and/or movement of the activesubstance formulation through the substrate and in some cases toincrease evaporation when it is desired to dry the reservoir (orabsorbent sheet). In the latter instance, the heating element may beconfigured with a plurality of flow paths for vapor or evaporatedportions of the liquid (such as solvent vapor) that facilitatesrelatively uniform or at least in a well distributed flow, away from thereservoir.

The invention may employ internally or externally a wide range ofchemical permeation enhancers such as azones, oleic acid, ethanol, aminoacids, oleyl alcohol, long chain fatty acids, propylene glycol,polyethylene glycol, isopropanol, ethoxydiglycol, sodium xylenesulfonate, N-methylpyrrolidone, laurocapram, alkanecarboxylic acids,dimethylsulfoxide, polar lipids, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, anionic,cationic and non-ionic surfactants, terpenes, piperine and piperinederivatives, isopropyl myristate, isopropyl palmitate and the like,which increase the permeability of the skin to the active material andpermit the active material to penetrate through the skin.Pharmaceutically acceptable compositions may be combined with one ormore agents including, but not limited to, alcohols, moisturizers,humectants, oils, emulsifiers, thickeners, thinners, surface-activeagents, fragrances, preservatives, antioxidants, vitamins, or minerals.

For example, when administering a an active compound pursuant to achronopharmacological dosage profile as set forth herein, using aprogrammed, transdermal, pulsatile drug delivery device, apharmaceutically acceptable composition of an active material may becombined with either mechanical skin penetration enhancers including,but not limited to, micro-fabricated structures commonly referred to asMicro-needles, heat, or sonophoresis, or a wide range of chemicals.

Additional advantages and novel features of this invention shall be setforth in part in the description that follows, and in part will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art upon examination of the followingspecification or may be learned by the practice of the invention.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of an exemplary portable transdermalnutraceutical, drug or active substance (collectively herein “activesubstance”) delivery device or assembly of the present invention;

FIG. 2 is a block diagram of the active substance delivery device ofFIG. 1 showing in block form representative components of a portabledevice for transdermal active substance delivery;

FIG. 3 is a schematic illustration of a active substance delivery devicein accordance with the present invention. Alternatively, permeationthrough the skin may be assisted by pretreatment with and/or usingmicro-fabricated structures commonly referred to as micro-channels,micro-needles, heating devices, iontophoretic devices, or sonophoreticdevices that are separate or attached to this device.

FIG. 4 is a schematic illustration of an alternative active substancedelivery device in accordance with the present invention. Alternatively,permeation through the skin may be assisted by pretreatment with and/orusing micro-fabricated structures commonly referred to as micro-channelsand micro-needles, heating devices, iontophoretic devices, orsonophoretic devices that are separate or attached to this device.

FIGS. 5A-5B illustrate comparative active substance release profilesdemonstrating operation of the present invention.

FIG. 6 shows the flux of a model drug compound (nicotine) permeatedthrough skin in an in vitro test using a method of the presentinvention.

FIG. 7 shows the blood plasma concentration and test results of a modeldrug compound (nicotine) tested on 12 human subjects.

FIG. 8 shows an exemplary administration profile for an automaticallydelivered delivery system before meals for nutraceuticals and foranti-aging and weight-loss formulations.

FIG. 9 shows an exemplary administration profile for an automaticallydelivered delivery system after meals for nutraceuticals and foranti-aging and weight-loss formulations.

FIG. 10 shows an exemplary administration profile for an automaticallydelivered delivery system for 4 doses for nutraceuticals and foranti-aging and weight-loss formulations.

FIG. 11 shows an exemplary administration profile for an automaticallydelivered glibenclamide delivery system.

FIG. 12 shows an exemplary administration profile for an automaticallydelivered glipizide delivery system.

FIG. 13 shows an exemplary administration profile for an automaticallydelivered rosiglitazone delivery system.

FIG. 14 shows an exemplary administration profile for an automaticallydelivered metformin delivery system.

FIG. 15 shows an exemplary administration profile for an automaticallydelivered delivery system for dextroamphetamine.

FIG. 16 shows an exemplary administration profile for ephedrinedelivered automatically according to the present invention.

FIG. 17 shows an exemplary administration profile for adrifinaldelivered automatically according to the present invention.

FIG. 18 shows an exemplary administration profile for ampakine deliveredautomatically according to the present invention.

FIG. 19 shows an exemplary administration profile for tacrine deliveredautomatically according to the present invention.

FIG. 20 shows an exemplary administration profile for donepezildelivered automatically according to the present invention.

FIG. 21 shows an exemplary administration profile for rivastigminedelivered automatically according to the present invention.

FIG. 22 shows an exemplary administration profile for galantaminedelivered automatically according to the present invention.

FIG. 23 shows an exemplary administration profile for memantinedelivered automatically according to the present invention.

FIG. 24 shows an exemplary administration profile for selegilinedelivered by a system of the present invention showing two doses.

FIG. 25 shows an exemplary administration profile for ropiniroledelivered by a system of the present invention showing three doses.

FIG. 26 shows an exemplary administration profile for apomorphinedelivered by a system of the present invention showing two doses.

FIG. 27 shows an exemplary administration profile for pramipexoledelivered by a system of the present invention showing three doses.

FIG. 28 shows an exemplary administration profile for biperidendelivered by a system of the present invention showing three doses.

FIG. 29 shows an exemplary administration profile for bromocriptinedelivered by a system of the present invention showing three doses.

FIG. 30 shows an exemplary administration profile for levodopa deliveredby a system of the present invention showing four doses.

FIG. 31 shows an exemplary administration profile for levodopa deliveredby a system of the present invention showing six doses.

FIG. 32 shows an exemplary administration profile for levodopa deliveredby a system of the present invention showing twelve doses.

FIG. 33 shows an exemplary administration profile for methylphenidate(Ritaline®) delivered by a system of the present invention showing twodoses.

FIG. 34 shows an exemplary administration profile for methylphenidate(Ritaline®) delivered by a system of the present invention showing threedoses.

FIG. 35 shows an exemplary administration profile for dextro-amphetamine(Adderall®) delivered by a system of the present invention.

FIG. 36 shows an exemplary administration profile for full strength(Phase I) nicotine delivery system.

FIG. 37 shows an exemplary administration profile for reduced strength(Phase II) nicotine delivery system.

FIG. 38 shows an exemplary administration profile for minimal strength(Phase III) nicotine delivery system.

FIG. 39 shows an exemplary administration profile for a bupropiondelivery system.

FIG. 40 shows an exemplary administration profile for a wake-up deliverysystem.

FIG. 41 shows an exemplary administration profile for a nitroglycerindelivery system tailored to treat variant angina attacks.

FIG. 42 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for anitroglycerin delivery system tailored to treat stress-induced anginaattack.

FIG. 43 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for anindomethacin delivery system tailored to arthritis.

FIG. 44 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for a valdecoxibdelivery system tailored to treat arthritis.

FIG. 45 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for atulobuterol delivery system tailored to treat asthma.

FIG. 46 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for a clonidinedelivery system tailored to treat hypertension.

FIG. 47 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for a selegilinedelivery system tailored to treat depression.

FIG. 48 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for anoxybutynin delivery system tailored to urinary incontinence.

FIG. 49 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for azolmitriptan delivery system tailored to treat migraine.

FIG. 50 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for a miglitoldelivery system tailored to treat diabetes.

FIG. 51 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for a fentanyldelivery system tailored to treat pain.

FIGS. 52A-52C illustrate an exemplary administration profile for5-fluorouracil, doxorubicin and cisplatin delivery system tailored totreat cancer.

FIG. 53 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for a zidovudinedelivery system tailored to treat AIDS.

FIG. 54 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for a gabapentindelivery system tailored to epilepsy.

FIG. 55 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for atriprolidine delivery system tailored to treat colds and flu.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

Biological rhythms are periodic fluctuations in biologicalcharacteristics over time, which also include circadian as well asseasonal variations. The reality of circadian rhythms in animalsincluding humans is well known (Halberg et al. J. Exp. Ther. Oncol. 3(5) 223-260 (2003), Redfern et al. Chronobiology International 11 (4)253-265 (1994)).

Circadian (approximately 24-hour) rhythms include the production ofbiological molecules such as endorphins, gonadotropin releasing hormone(GnRH), cortisol and adrenaline. These regulate the body's temperatureand heart rate, changes in characteristics of blood, such as stickiness,and behaviors such as wakefulness, sleep and periods of activity.

Some of the rhythms that affect our bodies include:

-   -   ultradian, which are cycles shorter than a day (for example, the        milliseconds it takes for a neuron to fire, or a 90-minute sleep        cycle)    -   circadian, which last about 24 hours (such as sleeping and        waking patterns)    -   infradian, referring to cycles longer than 24 hours (e.g.,        monthly menstruation)    -   seasonal, such as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which        causes depression in susceptible people during the short days of        winter.

Research demonstrates that certain disease symptoms follow a dailypattern, with peak symptoms at certain times of the day. It has beenwidely acknowledged that hormones, neurotransmitters and otherintra-body compounds are released in different amounts at differenttimes of the day pursuant to daily patterns. It is believed that thefailure of current transdermal systems to synchronize active substanceadministration with the body's natural rhythms often lead to (i) severeside effects, including debilitating sleep disorders (in the context ofnight-time nicotine administration, for example), (ii) ever increasingtolerance (in the case of nitroglycerin and other pharmaceuticals forexample), (iii) more expensive therapies, due to the fact that more of acompound is needed because the daily body rhythm is ignored and timebased dosing is not implemented.

In addition, many addictions follow a daily pattern consistent withone's circadian rhythms. For example, according to studies performed,immediately upon waking, smokers have peak nicotine cravings. These peakcravings return after each meal, due to the interplay of serotoninrelease as a trained response to the culmination of a meal. The presentinvention precisely times the administration of active substances sothat they reach peak levels when symptoms are likely to be at theirworst, and efficacy is greatly improved.

The present invention involves precisely timing the administration ofactive substances so that they reach peak levels in synchronization withtimes when symptoms are likely to be at their worst, or times at whichthe active substances are believed to be more effective in the bodyand/or better tolerated by the patient. The present invention isdescribed in terms of a particular example of a active substancesdelivery system that provides automated and precise control over dosing,with single-dose capability, (once while people sleep) or capability toadminister separate and varying-sized doses many times throughout amultiple day period. The present invention also relates to theadministration of different, distinct, active substances and dosages atdifferent times of the day. The particular implementation is consistentwith a commercial development of a miniaturized, automated andprogrammable non-invasive active substances delivery system called theChronoDose™ system being developed by the assignee of the presentinvention. The system enables controlling of the amount of activesubstances exposed to the skin in a controlled time dependent wayaccording to a programmed administration schedule that implements adesired dosage profile. In this manner the present invention enables oneto precisely control and vary the time of active substances release andthe amount of each dose, pursuant to an easily set pre-programmed dosageprofile. Research demonstrates that for certain symptoms, conditions anddiseases, active substances effects can be optimized when administeredin a defined (and often varying) dosage at predefined times. This isknown as Chronopharmacology (Reinberg, A. E., Concepts of CircadianChronopharmacology, In “Temporal Control of Drug Delivery” edited byHrushesky, W. J. M., et al, Annal NY Academy of Science, New York.Volume 618 102-115 (1991), Lemmer, B. Pharmacol Res. 33(2) 107-15(1996)).

To illustrate the importance of Chronopharmacology consider thefollowing facts:

-   -   Asthma attacks are 100 times more likely between 4:00 and 6:00        AM.    -   Heart attacks and strokes are most likely to occur around 6:00        AM.    -   Variant Angina attacks occur 30 times more often in the middle        of the night between 2:00 AM and 4:00 AM.    -   Smokers experience the highest cravings immediately upon waking        up.    -   Lethargy and difficulty getting out of bed is highest        immediately upon waking up early in the morning.    -   Cold and flu symptoms peak during nighttime and early morning        hours, when cold medications are wearing off

Chronopharmacokinetics is defined as the predictable changes observed inthe plasma levels of drugs and in the parameters used to characterizethe pharmacokinetics of a drug. Studies on animals and humans indicatethat the C_(max), T_(max), AUC and half-life often vary as a function ofthe hour of administration of the drug. Table 1 presents a list ofmedications for which temporal changes in pharmacokinetics have beendocumented. See, Labrecque, G., et al. Chronopharmacokinetics,Pharmaceutical News, 4 (2) 17-21 (1997).

TABLE 1 Drugs with documents time-dependent changes in pharmacokineticsCLASSES OF DRUGS SPECIFIC MEDICATIONS Analgesic and NSAID aspirin,sodium salicylate, acetaminophen, ketoprofene, phenyl butazone,indomethacin CNS Drugs hexabarbitol, carbamazepine, clorazepate,diazepam, triazolam, lorazepam, midazolam, amitryptiline, sodiumvalproate Cardiovascular Drugs atenolol, metoprolol, lidocaine,dipyridamole, digoxine Anti-asthmatic Drugs aminophylline, theophyline,terbutaline Antibiotic ampicillin, erythromicin, griseofulvin,cefoxizime Anti-cancer Agents Cisplatin

We have carefully identified specific active substances and diseasesbecause they have the following attributes: (i) Chronopharmacology iscritical to optimized dosing but is not being implemented because noautomated transdermal system exists, and (ii) these active substancesare preferably transdermally absorbed passively (i.e., without the needfor external modulation or pre-treatment such as sonophoresis,iontophoresis, electrophoresis, electroporation, or other permeationenhancement.

TABLE 2 Examples of Disease States for ChronoDose ™ ApplicationTHERAPEUTIC DISEASE OR CHRONO-PHARMACOLOGY AREA CONDITION RATIONALECancer Various forms Chemotherapy may be more effective and less toxicif drugs are administered at carefully selected times that takeadvantage of tumor cell cycle times while less toxic to normal tissue.Cardiovascular Angina Angina (variant) attacks occur 30 times more oftenbetween 2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. → Larger doses of Nitroglycerin early inthe morning Heart Attacks and Heart Attacks are most likely betweenStrokes Strokes 6:00 a.m. and Noon. → Cardiovascular active drugs beforewaking. Hypercholesterolemia A circadian rhythm occurs during hepaticcholesterol synthesis, which is generally higher during the night thanduring daylight. Studies with HMG CoA reductase inhibitors suggest thatevening dosing is more effective than morning dosing. → Simvastatin inevening and during night. Hypertension Automatically and preciselyrelease clonidine or other hypertension drugs in peak amounts to offsetthe peak symptoms associated with the dangerous morning symptoms. →Clinidine, Captopril or other medication in the morning. CNSDegenerative Parkinson's Disease Automated dosing for patient compliance→ Disorders Selegiline, Benztropine, Apomorphine Alzheimer's DiseaseAutomated dosing for patient compliance → Rivastigmine, MemantineDiabets Diabetes (Type II) Automated dosing for elderly patientcompliance. Oral medication is poorly absorbed. → Miglitol before meals.Glibenclamide Epilepsy Epileptic seizure Epileptic seizures are mostlikely between 6:00 a.m. and 7:00 a.m. → Gabapentan or other Epilepticdrugs before waking up Pulmonary Asthma Asthma attacks are 100 timesmore likely between 4:00 a.m. and 6:00 a.m. Adrenaline and Cortisol arevirtually absent at night. → Albuterol or Tulobuterol in early morning.Pain Acute Pain Neurological pain is worst between 3:00 a.m. and 8:00a.m. → Fentanyl in the middle of night. Migraine Headaches Migraineheadaches usually begin and occur and/or Cluster between 8:00 a.m. and10:00 a.m. Cluster headaches headaches start earlier, around 4:00 a.m. →Zolmitriptan or dihydroergotamine in the middle of night. Mental HealthDepression Selegiline at night can create sleeping disorders(nightmares), but depression symptoms are high immediately upon wakingup → Selegiline before waking up Inflammation Rheumatoid Arthritis,Worst upon awakening. Cortisol and anti- Osteoarthritis inflammatoryhormones are very low at night → Indomethacin or Valdecoxib beforewaking up. Women's Health Tocolytic Therapy Programmed-in-timeadministration of tocolytic medication relative to the circadian rhythmin uterine contractility to avert preterm labor and birth. → Nifedipine,Terbutaline or Ritodrine synchronized with uterine contractions. OTCSmoking Cessation Nicotine at night creates sleeping disorders(nightmares), but cravings are the highest immediately upon waking →Nicotine before waking up. Circadian rhythm sleep Adrenaline is lowestin the morning, making disorders and Morning early morning wakinguncomfortable and Lethargy difficult for many people. → OTC Stimulantbefore waking Insomnia Some sleep medications induce drowsiness but donot provide for continuous sleep in sensitive patients. → Pulsatile andlow dose delivery of sleep medication will provide continuous sleep.Peptic Ulcer Disease Gastric acid secretion increases in late afternoonand early night. Also, partial nocturnal resistance to H₂-blockade hasbeen noted. → H₂-blockers (ranitidine, cimetidine, famotidine,roxatidine, nizatidine) during the night. Drugs other than H₂-blockersor antibiotics during the night. Jet lag Melatonin can be used to resetcircadian Shift Shift work work rhythms. Colds and Flu Heaviest symptomsovernight and in the morning. → Cold/Flu medicine during the night.Triprolidine, Doxylamine Supplements/weight loss Vitamins andSupplements are best administered in low doses over the course of theday to be most effective.

The construction and use of transdermal patches for the delivery ofpharmaceutical agents is known. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No.5,370,635, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.Such patches may be constructed using a saturated or unsaturated media,pressurized reservoirs, or unpressurized reservoirs with micropumps forcontinuous, pulsatile, or on-demand delivery of an active material.

Device

The present invention is generally directed to a portable activesubstance delivery device that can controllably deliver a particulardose accurately and in a timed manner. The devices of the invention aretypically configured with a reusable portion and a disposable portion.The reusable portion typically includes the display and controlcomponents such as a microprocessor, memory, interfaces, and powersource and also includes the active portion of a dispensing mechanism(e.g., active portion of a micropump). The disposable portion can beselectively coupled or attached to the reusable portion and includes thepassive portion of the dispensing mechanism (e.g., a micropump housingand feed or delivery chamber/tubing) as well as the active substance ordispensing reservoir and also the administration assembly that mayinclude an administration reservoir, a diffusion membrane, and a solventremoval element. In this manner, the present invention addressesproblems with a membrane having a decreasing diffusivity that may becaused by saturation with solvent, the contact surface becoming dirty orclogged, or other factors. The device also facilitates the reuse of moreexpensive components such as the microprocessor, memory components, aliquid crystal display (LCD) or other display, and active pump portions.These and other unique features of the invention will become apparent inthe following description.

FIG. 1 illustrates one embodiment of a portable active substancedelivery device or assembly 1 of the present invention. The device 1 isshown to generally take the form of a wrist watch for easy attachment toa patient's arm or wrist to place an administration element and morespecifically a diffusion membrane for transdermal delivery (or, in somecases, a needle for subcutaneous delivery), e.g., an administrationassembly that can be removed from the reusable portion of the device 1shown in FIG. 1 is provided on the underside or reverse side of thedevice 1. The device 1 includes a display 90 to allow a patient or userof the device 1 to obtain a status of a dosing regimen, e.g., to knowwhether the device 1 actively dosing, when a next dose may beadministered, how many doses remain for the device based on theparticular disposable dosing element, or the like. An input area orkeyboard/keypad 93 is provided to allow the user to alter the display 90and otherwise interact with the device 1.

FIG. 2 illustrates in block form the components of the device 1 in oneembodiment of the invention. The portable device 1 as shown isconfigured for transdermal active substance delivery and includes acontrol and display unit 7, a dispensing mechanism 2, a active substancereservoir 3, an administration element 5, a solvent removal element 4,and a battery 6. A liquid is typically provided in the active substancereservoir 3 for dispensing via feed chamber or delivery tube 13. Theliquid includes a sufficient or predetermined amount of one or moreactive substances dissolved or dispersed at an appropriate concentrationin a formulation that contains a solvent (or more volatile liquid) or amixture of solvent along with the active substances. For example, thesolvent may include one or more generally regarded as safe (GRAS) agentssuch as water, ethanol and other low molecular weight alcohols, acetone,ethyl acetate, volatile oils or the like. If appropriate, otherexcipients may be provided in the reservoir 3 such as tissue permeationpromoter (enhancers), thickening substances, solubilizers, buffers,chemical stabilizers, preservatives, moisturizers, humectants,emulsifiers, thinners, surface-active agents, fragrances, or the like.

The invention can also contain agents known to accelerate the release ofthe active substance onto the body surface or through the skin in theactive substance formulation or adjacent to the skin. This class ofagents includes those with diverse mechanisms of action including thosewhich have the function of improving the solubility and diffusivity ofthe active substance and which improve percutaneous absorption. Forexample, by changing the stratum corneum's (skin) ability to retainmoisture, softening the skin, improving the skin's permeability, actingas penetration assistants or hair-follicle openers or changing the stateof the skin including the boundary layer. Some of these agents have morethan one mechanism of action and can, in addition, enhance the efficacyof the active substance.

Some examples of these permeation enhancers are glycerol, ethanol,isopropanol and other low molecular weight alcohols and glycols such asdiethylene glycol, propylene glycol or polyethylene glycol which enhancecompound solubility, oils such as olive oil, squalene or lanolin whichenhance active substance diffusibility, urea and urea derivatives suchas allantoin which affect the ability of keratin to retain moisture,polar solvents such as dimethyldecylphosphoxide, methyloctylsulfoxide,dimethyllaurylamide, dodecylpyrrolidone, isosorbitol,dimethyl-acetonide, dimethylsulfoxide, decylmethylsulfoxide anddimethylformamide which affect keratin permeability, salicylic acidwhich softens the keratin, amino acids which are penetration assistants,benzyl nicotinate which is a hair follicle opener.

Additional chemical permeation enhancers such as oleic acid, aminoacids, oleyl alcohol, long chain fatty acids, ethoxydiglycol, sodiumxylene sulfonate, ethanol, N-methylpyrrolidone, laurocapram,alkanecarboxylic acids, polar lipids, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, and thelike, which increase the permeability of the skin to the active materialand permit the active material to penetrate through the skin and intothe bloodstream are also included. Included also are cationic, anionicand non-ionic surfactants and higher molecular weight aliphaticsurfactants such as lauryl sulfate salts which change the surface stateof the skin and active substance administered, concomitantly which havegood percutaneous absorption.

Other agents include carvone and other azones, lactic acid, linoleic andascorbic acids, terpenes such as limonene, panthenol, butylatedhydroxytoluene, propyl oleate and propyl or isopropyl myristates as wellas tetrahydropiperine and analogs and derivatives thereof, includingdihydropiperine. Additional, penetration enhancement as described byU.S. Pat. Nos. 6,849,645, 6,019,997; 5,601,839; 5,834,010; 5,472,946;5,262,165 and 5,149,719 are incorporated herein by reference.

A wide variety of active substances can be delivered through transdermalsystems so long as the active substance can be provided in a form thatcan cross the skin barrier, see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,638,528,which is incorporated herein by reference. Examples of active substancesare included in the application section below. However, other APIsinclude, but are not limited, to nicotine, steroid hormones, analgesics,antioxidants, vitamins, CNS drugs, cardiovascular drugs,anti-asthmatics, antibiotics, anti-cancer drugs, and the like and theinvention is intended to cover any nutraceutical, drug or othersubstance for which it is desirable to provide to a patient or otherbody (animal or human) in a time and dose controlled manner.

The control and display unit 7 can be implemented, for example, by amicroprocessor 91 with a LCD or other display 90 and a drive circuitand/or interface 92. The microprocessor 91 is programmed (with software,such as a dosing regimen routine or the like, in memory for example) asa programmable timer to send a control signal to the dispensingmechanism 2 through the drive circuit 92 at multiple timing points.Battery 6 provides power to the device 1. In a specific embodiment, thedispensing mechanism 2 is a two-part peristaltic micropump (e.g., aperistaltic pump with an active portion that is provided with reusableportion of device 1 and a passive portion that is provided withdetachable and disposable portion 40) that delivers a active substanceformulation from the active substance reservoir 3 to the administrationelement 5 at a certain flow rate and a certain duration that are definedby the microprocessor 91 of the control and display unit 7.

In some embodiments, the active substance reservoir 3 is in form of acollapsible balloon that contains active substance formulation. Aflexible and collapsible reservoir 3 is preferable in the device 1 toavoid backpressures that may resist flow from the reservoir 3 if a morerigid-walled reservoir were utilized. The walls of the reservoir 3 arealso preferably resist permeation, i.e., are non-permeable or relativelyimpermeable, of the solvent/nutraceutical/drug mixture or formulationand in this regard, the walls may be formed of Teflon™, a high molecularmembrane, or other similar material.

The administration element 5 is typically provided in the disposable,detachable portion or unit 40 to allow it to be periodically replacedwith a new element 5. This is useful for providing a new membrane toachieve a known diffusion rate and to provide a new administrationreservoir (and any wicking material or the like provided in such anadministration reservoir as discussed below). As shown, theadministration element 5 includes an administration reservoir 34 and adiffusion membrane 35 (e.g., a membrane that allows a particulardiffusion rate for the active substance in the liquid or mixture in theactive substance reservoir 3 but is impermeable or much less permeableto the solvent).

One important aspect of the invention is the inclusion of material, suchas blotting paper or sheet, in the reservoir 34 to uniformly distributethe formulation to the diffusion membrane both in volume (e.g., theliquid is relatively equally provided over the upper surface of themembrane rather than much more at the outlet of the feed or deliverychamber/tube 13) and at a relatively uniform rate. For example, in oneembodiment, the administration element 5 includes an absorption sheet(e.g., blotting paper or the like to “wick” the liquid from chamber ortube 13 over the administration reservoir 34) and a membrane, which arelaminated tightly together at their interface and typically to the edgesof the frame of the element 5.

The particular film or membrane used for membrane 35 is not limiting andmay include any conventional materials such as silicones and siloxanes,microporous polyethylene and/or microporous polypropylene, polyethyleneco-vinyl acetate (EVA copolymer) ranging from 2% to 40% vinyl acetatecontent, polyurethane and the like.

An adhesive covering the perimeter or the entire skin adjacent area mayinclude, but is not limited to, silicone, polyisobutylene (PIB), acrylicadhesives and other pressure sensitive adhesives (PSAs), as well asethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose, poly (ethylene co-vinylacetate) (EVA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO),poly (ethylene vinyl alcohol) (PVA), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and thelike, which may be in a dry or wet form, crosslinked or not crosslinked,or any mixture to provide the composition in gel or hydrogel form oradhesive state. These may be dissolved in solvents such as water,ethanol, methylene chloride, ethyl acetate and the like and processed orapplied as a hot melt.

A device-skin interface coupling media and/or control membrane or layermay further be provided of ethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,poly(ethylene co-vinyl acetate) (EVA copolymer), polyvinyl pyrrolidone(PVP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol) (PVA),poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), silicones and siloxanes, polyisobutylene(PIB), hydrogels and the like.

Tubing or a feed chamber 13 is provided in the detachable and disposableunit 40 to connect the active substance reservoir 3 to theadministration element 5 through passive portion of the dispensingmechanism 2. When the device 1 is positioned for use, the membrane 35 ispreferably in tight contact with the skin using an adhesive and/orwristband. The device 1 then operates to provide even diffusion of theactive substance over the active substance absorption surface area ofthe membrane 35. A solvent removal element 4 is typically provided inthe device 1 (e.g., in the reusable portion as shown or in thedisposable portion in some cases) to control dosing by removing thesolvent or fluid mixture. The element 4 may include desiccant, absorbentmaterial, or other material to absorb evaporating solvent, with theelement 4 being connected to the administration element such as by oneor more tubes (not shown). A connection is shown between the interfaceor drive circuit 92 of control unit 7, and this may be used to sense theconcentration of a active substance in the administration reservoir 34and to control operation of the solvent removal element (e.g., inembodiments where active components are provided to further solventremoval as discussed below). In some embodiments, these connections mayalso be used to allow the control 7 to receive temperature signals froma sensor contacting or near the reservoir 34 and/or membrane 35.

In some preferred embodiments, the dispensing mechanism 2 is amicropump, e.g., positive displacement micropump. For example, the pump2 may be a two part piezoelectric micropump in which the drive or activeportion is provided in the reusable portion of the device 1 and thechamber 13 is provided in the disposable portion 40. In one preferredembodiment, the micropump is configured as a two-part peristaltic pumpthat can be provided as an active part and a passive part to allow theactive part to be provided in the reusable portion of device 1 and thepassive parts including the tube or feed chamber 13 and portions of thepump housing (including the compression surface) provided in thedetachable and disposable portion 40.

The use of a peristaltic pump as the dispensing mechanism 2 providessignificant advantages for a active substance delivery device accordingto the invention. These advantages include low risk of active substanceformulation contamination as the active substance only contacts thetubing and not the drive components of the pump 2 and this tube 13 isdisposed of with the disposable unit. The use of a peristaltic pump 2also provides simple and cost-effective operation, accuracy of dosing,low maintenance, self-priming, and gentle pumping action, as well as theability to pump liquid, mixed-phase and viscous fluids, and theelimination of the need to clean or flush the pump or tubing ofsubstance residue, to ensure sterility of the device over period oftime. One of the chief advantages of the peristaltic pump 2 for theactive substance delivery device 1 is that the active substanceformulation from the active substance reservoir 3 to the administrationelement 5 does not contact any internal parts. Seals and valves are notneeded as in other pumps.

Various types of micropumps have been developed for delivering ordispensing a controlled flow of a liquid in a small, measurable (orknown) quantity. In the field of drug delivery, it is recognized thatsupplying a drug in a correct temporal pattern is an important attributeof any drug delivery methodology. Controlled release drug deliverysystems, such as those described herein, are intended to improve theresponse to a active substance and/or lessen side effects of that activesubstance. This is also important in the field of chronopharmacology,where biological rhythms are an important aspect of clinicalpharmacology and are preferably taken into account when controlling aactive substance delivery system (or selecting a dosing regimen).

There has been an extensive amount of research into the design ofvarious micropumps. Currently, most micropumps are driven by apiezoelectric element bonded to a flexible membrane covering the pumpchamber. Many research groups have developed various micropumps such aspumps with pumping pressures over 7 m of water and micropumps usingnozzles and/or diffuser components, which even at miniature lengthscales results in accurate flow volume control and high reliability.Some of these micropumps are relatively low cost, high performancesilicon micropumps for disposable active substance delivery systems(such as the micropump described in Maillefer, D., et al., “A HighPerformance Silicon Micropump for an Implantable Drug Delivery System,”Technical Digest MEMS '99, pp. 541-46, 1999, which is incorporatedherein by reference). Similarly, the piezoelectric diaphragm micropumpsavailable from Star Micronics may be used in the dispensing mechanism ofthe invention, and generally include a diaphragm bonded to apiezo-ceramic element that mechanically vibrates to induce change ofchamber volume and, thus, conveys fluid or gas through the pump chamber(which, in the embodiments described above, would be in the passiveportion of the dispensing mechanism).

However, it should be noted that there might be some drawbacks to usingpiezoelectric materials to achieve a micropump (although they have beenwell developed where a pump element is oscillated by the application ofelectrical impulses on piezoelectric elements to create a pressuredifferential in a liquid). First, piezoelectric elements are formed frombrittle crystal materials that are difficult and expensive to machine,particularly on small scales. Second, piezoelectric materials generallyare not suitable for contacting liquids. Micropumps that exploitpiezoelectric movement typically must be designed to insulate thepiezoelectric material from contact with liquid. Third, even though thepower consumption of the piezoelectric micropump is typically low,electrical circuitry with a high voltage supply is necessary to driveand control piezoelectric movement, which requires a certain voltage andcurrent power supply to work. For portable devices and devices poweredby a battery, this presents a challenge for using a piezoelectric pumpin the dispensing mechanism.

In contrast, peristaltic pumps are desirable for use in the dispensingmechanism as they use a flexible tube that is compressed by a series ofshoes on a roller to induce liquid flow. Such pumps provide a positivedisplacement and require little or no maintenance. A continuous tubethat contains the fluid to be moved (such as in a cooling embodiment) ordelivered sits between the shoes and a rigid wall (e.g., the curvedsurface provided the housing of the passive portion of the dispensingmechanism). The shoes pinch the tube against the wall as the roller isturned by an electric motor, which creates a positive pressure on theoutput side of the tube and a negative pressure on the input side.Peristaltic pumps are self-priming, and the only material in contactwith the solution or liquid is the tube. Thus, a wide variety offluid-compatible tube material can be selected to meet the lifeexpectancy (e.g., the expected number of cycles and the like). There isa demand for a battery-driven or a low-voltage-driven micropump that isable to induce an amount of liquid flow. For life sciences, it is oftenpreferable that the micropump be relatively inexpensive and disposable.

The pump tube is typically a consumable part and may be frequentlychanged to avoid any possible contamination. Given the small size of themicropump (e.g., several millimeters in its physical dimension andseveral micrometers to hundreds of micrometers on the tube dimension),changing such tubes may be difficult. Hence, the desirability to providea detachable, disposable passive portion as discussed.

An exemplary implementation (shown in FIG. 3) comprises a collapsibleactive substance reservoir, an expandable waste reservoir, a micro-pump,electronics for automation, a display, and a highly permeable membrane.Further, a heating element or a gas or air blowing apparatus may be usedto assist evaporation of liquids into the waste reservoir or theenvironment. An exemplary system is described in a United Kingdom patententitled Transdermal Drug Delivery and Method filed on Sep. 13, 2004,Application No. PCT/IB2004/002947, which is incorporated herein byreference. The active substance reservoir will contain between about 0.4ml and 4 ml of active substance formulation. A tiny, miniaturized pumpis activated at pre-programmed times and releases a predefined amount ofactive substance formulation into the active substance chamber, wherethe formulation comes into contact with diffusion matrix. Thisdiffusional matrix is in intimate contact with a highly permeablemembrane. This membrane rests on the skin, and provides for evendiffusion of the active substance over the device's active substanceabsorption surface area. This membrane works effectively with, and canbe coated with, an adhesive, hydrogel or polymer substance, which allowsfor rapid transport kinetics. In operation, when the administration ofthe active substance needs to be discontinued, the remaining activesubstance formulation is either removed or evaporated from the membranearea via a waste chamber containing a desiccant, some other hydrophilicsubstance, or the device is taken off. Further, to achievechronopharmacological active substance delivery for active substancethat may not passively pass through the skin adequately, the abovedescribed device may use permeation enhancers whereby permeation throughthe skin is assisted, such as mechanical permeation enhancers thatinclude micro-fabricated structures commonly referred to asmicro-needles, light, or heat, or iontophoresis, electroporation,sonophoresis, or a wide range of chemical permeation enhancers.

In an implementation shown in FIG. 4, a pressurized active substancereservoir is used which minimizes or eliminates need for a micropump.Electronics control a valve that allows controlled quantities of theactive substance to be applied to the active substance chamber where theformulation comes into contact with highly permeable membrane. Further,to achieve chronopharmacological active substance delivery for activesubstance that may not passively pass through the skin adequately, theabove described device may use permeation enhancers whereby permeationthrough the skin is assisted, such as mechanical permeation enhancersthat include micro-fabricated structures commonly referred to asmicro-needles, light, or heat, or iontophoresis, electroporation,electrophoresis, sonophoresis (collectively referred to herein as theMechanical Permeation Enhancers) or a wide range of chemical permeationenhancers.

The design of the present invention minimizes or eliminates the need forcleaning the peristaltic pump of the device. Another main practicaladvantage of this design is to avoid shelf-time problems of the device.Our embodiment separates the peristaltic pump into two parts, the activeand passive parts, in order to retain the expensive active part of theperistaltic pump in the device and combine the passive part with theactive substance reservoir.

A typical reservoir may provide active substance volumes that can beapplied for multiple days (such as for 3 or more days), and controlledtransdermal release of an active material such as a active substance canbe timed and dosages selected to better match a body's rhythms toenhance chronopharmacological efficacy.

In a particular application the replaceable reservoir can include adescription of an administration schedule that can be used to manuallyor automatically program device with an administration schedule. Forexample, a written schedule can be printed on or affixed to thereservoir or electrically programmed using volatile or non-volatilememory. In this manner, a dosing profile can be prescribed and filled bya pharmacy in much the same manner as a conventional active substanceprescription is handled today.

Specifically, the co-pending and published U.S. patent application Ser.No. 11/162,525, entitled “Biosynchronous Transdermal Drug Delivery”filed Sep. 13, 2005, which is incorporated herein in its entirety byreference, describes the use of specific dosing regimens to selectdosing (e.g., flow rates to the administration element) and also thetiming of such dosages to enhance the effectiveness of the particularactive substance (e.g., treat heart attack and stroke in early morninghours, treat arthritis prior to a patient awakening, and the like). Thisreferences teaching is incorporated for use in configuring the dosingregimen and otherwise for controlling operation of the processor 91 andother processors for operating the dispensing mechanism 2 (its flow rateand timing/duration of operation) and solvent removal components.

The present invention represents the first true non-invasivechronopharmacological active substance delivery device. While currenttransdermal applications are restricted to the dosage profile shown inFIG. 5a , the automated implementation of the present invention can beprogrammed for a variety of active substance delivery patterns toachieve customized patient dosing regiments for optimal therapy (FIG. 5b).

The following examples are set forth to describe the invention ingreater detail. They are intended to illustrate, not to limit, theinvention.

Example 1

In Vitro Evaluation of Skin Permeability

FIG. 6 shows in vitro flux results of a model compound (nicotine)delivery through human cadaver skin (dermatomed to 0.5 mm) by theChronoDose™ prototype programmed and automatically operated via softwareand laptop computer. The area of skin permeation was 10 cm². A 100 mg/mlnicotine formulation in ethanol/water 1/1 was dispensed at 0, 1, 8, 9,16 and 17 hours into the experiment. Each time, 200 μl of formulationwas dispensed on a 10 cm² surface area of interface of diffusion,separated from the skin by the EVA membrane. Using proprietary software,the prototype was triggered by a laptop computer. Additionally, the dosequantity was strictly controlled and monitored. Drug flux samples wereobtained using a flow-through Franz cell permeation system with samplescollected every 15 minutes. Hourly time point samples were analyzed andrecorded. Samples were analyzed by UV/Vis spectrophotometry.

The results demonstrate that three cycles of on/off delivery wereachieved with this protocol for both drug reservoir concentrationswithin 24 hours corresponding to three drug delivery pulses. The maximumtransdermal flux value reached under these in vitro conditions was 160ng/cm²/hr and was comparable for all three cycles demonstrating a goodreproducibility of the process.

Example 2

Clinical Study

The device, described herein, was tested on 12 healthy male volunteersfor an open, three-periods, single center, dose-escalation study usingnicotine as the model compound. FIG. 7 shows test result on 12 humansubjects. The dose escalation trial showed statistically significantmodulation and control of the dosing profiles. Using low, medium andhigh concentrations, for 16 hours, the model drug permeated eachsubject's skin on multiple occasions, resulting in clear and distinctpeaks and troughs of therapeutically effective and well-targeted bloodplasma concentration levels.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certaindegree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosurehas been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in thecombination and arrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilledin the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention,as hereinafter claimed. For example, the devices may also utilizepiezoelectric or thermal droplet jet technology, see for example U.S.Pat. No. 6,723,077, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein byreference as described, as well as components other than heatingelements to enhance drug diffusion such as components to implementiontophoresis, sonophoresis, and/or mechanical or chemical permeationenhancers.

In using this system, the present invention can preprogram the times andamount of each dosage by precisely controlling the amount of activesubstance exposed to the skin during each dosing. This feature isadvantageous when a active substance is best administered during sleep,e.g., 1 to 2 hours before waking up. The present invention preciselycounteracts peak disease symptoms and increase patient compliance.

There are many advantages for a controlled transdermal release of anactive material such as a active substance. As used herein, the term‘controlled’ or ‘sustained’ release of an active material includescontinuous or discontinuous, linear or non-linear release of the activematerial according to a programmed schedule. Among the advantages ofcontrolled release are the convenience of a single application for thepatient, avoidance of peaks and valleys in systemic concentration whichcan be associated with repeated injections, the potential to reduce theoverall dosage of the active material, lower body stress, and thepotential to enhance the pharmacological effects of the active material.A lower, sustained dose can also prevent adverse effects that areoccasionally observed with infusion therapy. In addition tosignificantly reducing the cost of care, controlled release activesubstance therapy can free the patient from repeated treatment orhospitalization, thus offering the patient greater flexibility andimproving patient compliance.

A controlled release formulation of certain active substances alsoprovides an opportunity to use the active substance in a manner notpreviously exploited or considered. The present invention isparticularly advantageous when (i) known chronopharmacologicalinformation indicates that a active substance's effects can be optimizedwhen administered in a defined dosage at a predefined time or times,and/or (ii) patient compliance with the dosing regimen is greatlyincreased due to automation, i.e. doses are required at inopportunetimes, i.e. at night while sleeping. For example, the drug deliveryregimen of the present invention is administered to treat a conditionselected from the group consisting of vitamin and/or mineral deficiency,Cancer, Addiction, Arthritis, Parkinson's Disease, Attention DeficitDisorder, Cardiovascular Disorder, Cold/Flu Symptoms, Pain, ChildhoodBronchial Asthma, Peptic Ulcer, Post-operative Recuperation, and soforth as shown below.

Application—Nutraceuticals

The term “nutraceutical” was coined from “nutrition” and“pharmaceutical” in 1989 by Stephen DeFelice, Md., founder and chairmanof the Foundation for Innovation in Medicine (FIM), Cranford, N.J.According to DeFelice, nutraceutical can be defined as, “a food (or partof a food) that provides medical or health benefits, including theprevention and/or treatment of a disease.” However, the termnutraceutical as commonly used in marketing has no regulatorydefinition.

A nutraceutical is any substance that may be considered a food or partof a food and provides medical or health benefits, including theprevention and treatment of disease. Such products may range fromisolated nutrients, dietary supplements and diets to geneticallyengineered “designer” foods, herbal products and processed foods such ascereals, soups and beverages.

Substances and/or their derivatives which may be used in the presentinvention include but are not limited to:

Stimulants:

-   -   Adrenergic stimulants such as: adrenaline, ephedrine and        ephedrine derivatives, and dopamine    -   Methylxanthines such as: caffeine, theobromine, theophyline and        their derivatives.    -   Ampakines such as: CX-516 (Ampalex), CX546, CX614 and CX717.    -   Other stimulants, anorexigens and anorectics such as cocaine,        etc.

Pharmaceuticals such as cannabinoid type 1 (CBI) receptor antagonists(rimonabant, Acomplia™), humoral feedback signals leptin, ghrelin,nesfatin-1, or their re-uptake inhibitors, agonists or antagonists,appetite-regulating hormones such as peptide YY 3-36 and the like.

Nutritional Agents, Such as:

Minerals and Metals: i.e. boron, calcium, magnesium, chromium, selenium,zinc, etc.

Vitamins: Vitamin A (Retinoids (include: retinol, retinal, retinoicacid, 3-dehydroretinol and its derivatives); Vitamin B1 (Thiamine);Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin); Vitamin B3 (Niacin); Vitamin B5 (Pantothenicacid); Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine); Vitamin B7 (Biotin); Vitamin B9 (Folicacid); Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin); Vitamin C (Ascorbic acid); VitaminD2-D4 (Lumisterol, Ergocalciferol, Cholecalciferol, Dihydrotachysterol,7-Dehydrocholesterol); Vitamin E (Tocopherol, Tocotrienol) and Vitamin K(Naphthoquinone).

Amino Acids: Isoleucine, Alanine, Leucine, Asparagine, Lysine,Aspartate, Methionine, Cysteine, Phenylalanine, Glutamate, Threonine,Glutamine, Tryptophan, Glycine, Valine, Proline, Arginine, Serine,Histidine and Tyrosine.

Aside from the twenty standard amino acids and the two special aminoacids, selenocysteine and pyrrolysine, there are a vast number of“nonstandard amino acids.” Examples of nonstandard amino acids includethe sulfur-containing taurine and n-acetylcysteine and theneurotransmitters GABA and dopamine Other examples are Carnosine(beta-alanyl-L-histidine), lanthionine, 2-Aminoisobutyric acid, anddehydroalanine, ornithine and citrulline.

Coenzymes: Coenzyme A, Coenzyme B12, Coenzyme Q, NAD, FAD, ATP,molybdopterin, etc.

Antioxidants such as Glutathione, Lutein, alpha-lipoic acid,polyphenols-including Pycnogenol (pine bark antioxidant), Grape seedextract, superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC 1.15.1.1), epicathechin,proanthocyanidins, sulfoxides, etc.

Botanicals, phytochemicals, phytonutrients, plant extracts, herbs,naturopathic, homeopathic drugs and substances, nutraceticals,cosmeceuticals, Ayuervedic xtracts, tissue extractions, antioxidants andthe like. These include but are not limited to: Guarana and BrownSeaweed, or Fucus Vesiculosis, 5 HTP, yerba mate, flaxseed oil,L-caritine, Synephrine (oxedrine; Sympatol), Coleus forskohlii(forskohlin), diiodotyrosine, chromium poly-nicotinate, garlic extract,yeast extract, fatty acids, omega-3 fish oil, kava and kavalactones,Aniracetam, Bromocriptine, Carnosine, Centrophenoxine, Deprenyl,Gerovital-H3, Hydergine, Idebenone, Melatonin, Piracetam, Pramiracetam,Pyritinol, Resveratrol, Vinpocetine and Vitamin C, thymus, yohimbine,Morinda citrifolia (Noni, containing Proxeronine, Proxeronase, Xeronine,Damnacanthal and Scopoletin), etc.

Steroids and Steroid Precursors:

Some of the common categories of steroids include:

-   -   Anabolic steroids are a class of steroids that interact with        androgen receptors to increase muscle and bone synthesis. There        are natural and synthetic anabolic steroids. These are the        “steroids” used by athletes to increase performance    -   Corticosteroids include glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoids:    -   Glucocorticoids regulate many aspects of metabolism and immune        function, and are often prescribed by doctors to reduce        inflammatory conditions like asthma and arthritis.    -   Mineralocorticoids corticosteroids that help maintain blood        volume and control renal excretion of electrolytes.    -   Sex steroids are a subset of sex hormones that produce sex        differences or support reproduction. They include androgens,        estrogens, and progestagens.    -   Phytosterols-steroids naturally occurring in plants.    -   Ergosterols-steroids occurring in fungi. This includes some        Vitamin D supplements.

Examples include but are not limited to androgens, estrogens, andprogestational agents, hydrocortisone, hydrocorticosterone acetate,cortisone acetate, dexamethasone and its derivatives such asbetamethasone, triamcinolone, methyltestosterone, 17-.beta.-estradiol,ethinyl estradiol, ethinyl estradiol 3-methyl ether, prednisolone,17-.beta.-hydroxyprogesterone acetate, 19-nor-progesterone, norgestrel,norethindrone, norethisterone, norethiederone, progesterone,norgesterone, norethynodrel, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and the like.

Nutritional Supplements such as Resveratrol, Dimethlyglycine (DMG), 5Hydroxy L-tryptophan (5-HTP), Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6),S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), Glucosamine sulfate or N.Acetylglucosamine, Choline, inositol and melatonin, creatine, pyruvate,beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), ginseng, etc.

Natural Hormones (bio-identicals) such as black cohosh (Cimicifugaracemosa) root and rhizome extract (Remifemin™), extracts from soy beansor the wild Mexican yam, etc.

Ayuervedic herb extracts: Adhatoda; A. vasica, Arjun; Teminalia arjuna,Asafoetida; Ferula asafetida, Ashwaganda; Withania sominifera,Asparagus; A. racemosa, Bacopa; B. monerii, Crataeva; C. nurvala,Emblica; E. ribes, Momordica; M. charantia, Myrrh; Commiphora mukul andC. myrrha, Saraca; S. asoka, Tinospora; T. cordifolia.

Physiological metabolites, catabolites or other physiological activeingredient or precursors of all of the above or derivatives of all ofthe above thereof, as well as all other nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals,naturopathic substances, homeopathic drugs, Ayuervedic extracts,botanical and dietary supplements having same or different physiologicalactivity as those cited above, may be used within the scope of thisinvention.

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

Nutraceutical is a portmanteau of “nutritional” and “pharmaceutical” andrefers to foods thought to have a beneficial effect on human health. Itcan also refer to individual chemicals which are present in common foods(and therefore may be delivered in a non-drug form). Many suchnutraceuticals are phytonutrients.

The nutraceutical implementation of the present invention allowsindividuals, while asleep, to have an over-the-counter (OTC) orprescription nutraceutical automatically administered during a 1-2 hourpre-wake-up period and periodically throughout the day, for example,before or after meals. FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 illustrate exemplarynutraceutical administration profiles showing a blood plasma level innanograms per milliliter on the vertical axis, with time on thehorizontal axis. Active ingredient concentrations will reach peak levelsimmediately prior to having to wake and around meal times. Anycustomized profile for any active ingredient may, of course, bepreprogrammed into the device.

Dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. For example,pulsatile delivery could have blood plasma concentrations (BPC) similarto the profile set forth below within the following ranges at thefollowing times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

5:30 am-7:30 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Peak 2 (Highest)

10:30 am-12:30 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Peak 3 (Highest)

3:30 pm-5:30 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 8.

As an additional example, pulsatile delivery could have blood plasmaconcentrations (BPC) similar to the profile set forth below within thefollowing ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

5:30 am-7:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Peak 2 (Highest)

9:00 am-11:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Peak 3 (Highest)

1:00 pm-3:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Peak 4 (Highest)

7:00 pm-9:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 9.

Still, an additional example, pulsatile delivery could have blood plasmaconcentrations (BPC) similar to the profile set forth below within thefollowing ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

5:30 am-9:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Peak 2 (Highest)

11:30 am-3:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Peak 3 (Highest)

5:30 pm-8:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Peak 4 (Highest)

10:30 pm-12:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 10.

Application—Longevity

Life extension refers to an increase in maximum or average lifespan,especially in humans, by slowing down or reversing the processes ofaging. Extension of an average lifespan can be achieved through gooddiet, exercise and avoidance of hazards such as smoking and excessiveeating of sugar-containing foods. Theoretically, extension of maximumlifespan can be achieved by reducing the rate of aging damage, byperiodic replacement of damaged tissues, or by molecular repair or(rejuvenation) of deteriorated cells and tissues. Much of anti-agingmedicine has been concerned with the use of nutritional supplements toextend lifespan. The idea that antioxidant supplements, such as VitaminC, Vitamin E, lipoic acid and N-acetylcysteine, might extend human lifestems from the free radical theory of aging. Pulsatile transdermalGlutathione transdermal systems also a powerful anti-aging compound andis the subject of this invention.

Diabetes resembles accelerated aging and is associated withcross-linking of proteins by sugars, more specifically monosaccharides.Some believe that anti-glycating supplements (supplements that reducethe protein cross-linking by monosaccharides), such as carnosine,pyridoxamine, benfotiamine and lysine, might reduce aging.

Hormone replacement therapy-which aims at restoring youthful levels ofgrowth hormone, testosterone, estrogen, progesterone, melatonin, DHEAand thyroid (all of which decline with age)—has also been tried as meansof reducing the effects of aging. Other less popular hormones but whichmight also be useful are oxytocin, insulin, human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG), erythropoietin (EPO), and others. Resveratrol is a sirtuinstimulant proposed to extend life in mammals in a similar manner to thatclaimed for calorie restriction in simple model organisms such asnematodes.

Some supplements have been shown to be of benefit against someaging-related disease conditions, or have extended average lifespan.Calorie restriction and supplementation with the minerals selenium,chromium and zinc have been shown to extend maximum lifespan in mice.

Moreover, many of the compounds, chemicals, formulations and substancesidentified above under the heading “Application—Nutraceutricals” areapplicable for longevity and anti-aging uses. Dosing regimens shown inFIGS. 8, 9 and 10 and described above, are also applicable to therapiesutilized for increased longevity.

Application—Obesity, Weight-Loss and Weight Management

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is increasing worldwide at analarming rate in both developing and developed countries. Environmentaland behavioral changes brought about by economic development,modernization, and urbanization have been linked to the rise in globalobesity. Obesity is increasing in children and adults, and true healthconsequences may become fully apparent in the near future.

About 100 million adults in the United States are overweight or obese.The medical problems caused by overweight and obesity can be serious andoften life-threatening, and include diabetes, shortness of breath,gallbladder disease, hypertension, elevated blood cholesterol levels,cancer, arthritis, other orthopedic problems, reflux esophagitis(heartburn), snoring, sleep apnea, menstrual irregularities, infertilityand heart trouble. Moreover, obesity and overweightness substantiallyincrease the risk of morbidity from hypertension, dyslipidemia, type 2diabetes, coronary heart disease, stroke, gallbladder disease,osteoarthritis and endometrial, breast, prostate, and colon cancers.Higher body weights are also associated with increases in all-causemortality. Most or all of these problems are relieved or improved bypermanent significant weight loss. Longevity is likewise significantlyincreased by permanent significant weight loss.

Weight loss of about 10 percent of body weight is proven to benefithealth by reducing many obesity-related risk factors. Recommendationsfor treatment are now focusing on 10 percent weight loss to helppatients with long-term maintenance of weight loss. Weight losstreatments vary depending, at least in part, on the degree of weightloss one is attempting to achieve in a subject as well as on theseverity of overweight or obesity exhibited by the subject. For example,treatments such as low-fat diet and/or regular exercise are oftenadequate in cases where a subject is only mildly overweight. Suchtreatments can be enhanced by controlled use of over-the-counterappetite suppressants including caffeine, ephedrine andphenylpropanolamine (Acutrim™, Dexatrim™). Moreover, prescriptionmedications including amphetamine, diethylpropion (Tenuate™), mazindol(Mazanor™, Sanorex™) phentermine (Fastin™, Ionamin™), phenmetrazine(Preludin™) phendimetrazine (Bontrol™, Plegine™ Adipost™, Dital™,Dyrexan™, Melfiat™, Prelu-2™, Rexigen Forte™), benzphetamine (Didrex™)and fluoxetine (Prozac™) are often used in the treatment of seriouslyoverweight and/or obese subjects or patients.

The present invention may be used to treat, cure, prevent, control oralleviate a wide range of conditions and symptoms. In the presentinvention, the drug delivery regimen is administered to treat conditionsassociated with obesity, excess weight and weight management. Many ofthe compounds, chemicals, formulations and substances identified aboveunder the heading “Application—Nutraceutricals” are applicable fortreating obesity and for weight-loss and weight management. Dosingregimens shown in FIGS. 8, 9 and 10 and described above, are alsoapplicable to therapies utilized for treating obesity and forweight-loss and weight management.

Application—Fatigue Management

Human fatigue is now recognized around the world as being the main causeof accidents in the transport industry. It is increasingly beingrecognized as a safety issue of the highest priority. The issue offatigue in the workplace in all modes of transportation and even beyondtransportation is something that is exploding as a priority issue acrossthe industrialized world.

It is also an occupational health and safety issue, a commercial issue,a public safety issue and, at times, an environmental issue. With the24/7 global economies, many people are having to continually shift andadjust to different daily schedules. Shift workers, as well as corporateexecutives, money managers and all types of business personnel mustmodify their schedules too. Individuals and organizations that fail tomanage human fatigue sensibly, risk having or creating accidents with abroad range of damaging and enduring consequences.

In the same regard, modern warfare has become a long-range, 24/7 affair,and the physiological realities of sleep, fatigue, and circadian rhythmsoften get in the way of optimal performance “Go pills” pills are used asa “fatigue management tool” to help pilots stay alert through longmissions.

In the early eighties, the Department of Defense developed go pills forthe Air Force. Go pills are essentially amphetamine in the form of apill. The Air Force wanted a drug to keep their bomber pilots alert andawake when they were on long missions. These missions can take over 24hours and requires several delicate mid-air refueling operations.Despite their grandeur, air force pilots are fallible and they werefalling asleep on these missions. Hence the development of go pills.

When fatigue closes in and all other tools in the fatigue managementprogram have been exhausted, many pilots reach for the “go pill” to helpthem get home safely. Formally known as the amphetamine Dexedrine®, “gopills” are prescribed to pilots in very low doses to take the edge offfatigue. “Go pills” are only authorized for single-seat aircraftmissions of more than eight hours, and dual-place aircraft missions ofmore than 12 hours. The 10-milligram “go pill” has the stimulatingeffect of three or four cups of coffee.

Once the mission has been completed, counteracting “no-go pills”prescription sedatives are used to help the pilots sleep after anextended mission and go-pill use.

No go pills are for after flying to induce sleep and re-adjust thesleeping schedule. It is recommended that pilots not fly for 12 to 16hours after taking them. However, often less than 12 hours later, theyare usually sent on their next mission

In another scenario, a mission may be amended or aborted. Here, a backupmission crew may be instructed to take the “go pills” in preparation ofa nighttime sortie. However at some point the mission plans get changed.In this scenario, the pilot has already taken the stimulant.

In this case, the pilot having already taken the stimulant, must wait10-12 hours for the “Go pill” to clear his system or take a “no-go pill”to sleep. Additionally, the quality of sleep with these medications inthe blood stream may not be the most restful and the pilot may not be inan optimum alert state upon awakening. In both cases, the pilot'scircadian rhythm has been disrupted leaving him less ready for the nextmission.

The current invention can be useful to Army, Navy, Air force and Marineas well as all service personnel that must work extended hours with thepossibility of command changes. Shift workers, traveling executives andother business personnel can also benefit from the flexibility that thisdrug delivery device offers.

The current invention offers an alternative and automatic dosing regimenfor stimulants as well as reducing the need for a follow-up depressantto induce sleep. The stimulant may be dosed-increasingly incremental,decreasingly incremental or a mixture of the two so as to purposefullymodulate the active substance in the body and allow for scheduleadjustments.

Example—Dextroamphetamine

In this example, dextroamphetamine is dosed in ever increasing amountsuntil the therapeutic dose equivalent is attained. By dosing in thisfashion, the doses are incremental and additive. If the need arises tostop the dosing, due to a change in scheduling, the ChronoDose™ may beremoved. By using this regimen, less dextroamphetamine will be in theuser's system and allow for faster drug clearance.

The blood plasma concentration time/dose chart for dextroamphetamineshould appear as shown in FIG. 15.

Example—Ephedrine

Ephedrine (EPH) is a sympathomimetic amine similar in structure to thesynthetic derivatives amphetamine and methamphetamine Ephedrine iscommonly used as a stimulant, appetite suppressant, concentration aid,decongestant and to treat hypotension associated with regionalanaesthesia. Chemically, it is an alkaloid derived from various plantsin the genus Ephedra (family Ephedraceae).

The blood plasma concentration time/dose chart for ephedrine shouldappear as shown in FIG. 16.

Example—Adrafinil (Olmifon), Modafinil (Provigil)

Modafinil has reportedly been investigated by the United States militaryfor use by its soldiers. One study on helicopter pilots suggested that600 mg of modafinil given in three doses can be used to keep pilotsalert with only 8 hours of sleep in an 88 hour period. Another study onfighter pilots showed that 300 mg modafinil given in three divided100-mg doses sustained the flight control accuracy of sleep-deprivedF-117 pilots to within about 27 percent of baseline levels.

Adrafinil, an earlier compound relative to modafinil, has a half-life ofabout 60 minutes and a time to peak concentration of about 60 minutes.By taking advantage of the rapid pharmacokinetics, repetitive dosescould be given and the user could stop the doses when necessary.

The time/dose chart for adrafinil should appear as shown in FIG. 17.

Example—Ampakine CX717

CX717 is an ampakine compound created by Dr. Gary Lynch at UCI in 1993and further developed by Cortex Pharmaceuticals, an Irvine Calif.company created to explore possible applications. It affects theneurotransmitter glutamate, improving cognitive functioning and memory.

In 2005 The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accepted CortexPharmaceuticals' IND (Investigational New Drug) application to initiatepilot Phase II clinical trials in the United States. Also, in 2005, theUnited States Department of Defense funded a study to look into CX717and the physiological effects of sleepiness.

The study found that rhesus monkeys performed faster and better afterreceiving the drug, and it counteracted the effects of sleepdeprivation. However, a 2006 study funded by DARPA found that CX717 didnot improve cognitive performance in humans subjected to simulated nightshift work.

The chemical structure of CX717 has not yet been revealed by CortexPharmaceuticals, but is presumably similar to earlier compounds in theseries as shown below. It is very unusual for research on a compound tobe released in scientific journals without disclosing exactly what thecompound consists of, but this information is likely to have been keptconfidential for reasons of intellectual property, and also because theresearch on CX717 was partially funded by DARPA, the United StatesDefense Advanced Research Projects Agency.

The time/dose chart for ampakine should appear as shown in FIG. 18.

Application—Glucose Control

Diabetes Mellitus is the most common of the serious metabolic diseasesaffecting humans. It has been estimated that there are over 200 millionpeople that have diabetes in the world.

Metabolically, diabetes is characterized by an inappropriate elevationof blood glucose levels. In Type I Diabetes Mellitus, this is due to anabsence of insulin in the individual. In Type II Diabetes Mellitus,although there is circulating insulin, its signal is not efficientlytransduced via the insulin receptor, giving rise to insulin resistance,where the body responds less and less well to a given amount of insulin.Insulin is a peptide hormone, which is produced by the Langerhorn isletsin the pancreas. Insulin triggers increased glucose utilization, proteinsynthesis, and the formation and storage of neutral lipids. The presentinvention focuses on Type II Diabetes Mellitus, or non-insulin-dependentdiabetes.

Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus of type II (NIDDM) is known tobe a frequent metabolic disease and the main cause of hyperglycemia. Inrecent years, diabetes mellitus of type II has been proved to be aheterogeneous disease, with complex, unclarified metabolic aspects,which disease is characterized by three main metabolic abnormalitiescontributing to hyperglycemia: the partial or complete decrease ininsulin secretion, the resistance of the peripheral tissues to insulinand the increased hepatic production of glucose in fasting conditions.

Diabetes Mellitus is also characterized by long-term complicationsinvolving the eyes, nerves, kidneys and blood vessels. These diabeticcomplications include premature atherosclerosis, intercapillaryglomerulosclerosis, retinopathy and neuropathy. The major cause ofmorbidity and mortality among diabetics is coronary heart disease.

The primary goal in the treatment of diabetes is to maintain bloodglucose levels as close to normal as possible. For Type II diabetics,the first line of therapy for maintaining blood glucose level ismodification of diet and lifestyle. The diabetic diet featuresrestrictions on fat content and an increased intake of dietary fiber.

Regular exercise is also emphasized to decrease weight and reduce thedegree of insulin resistance. If diet and lifestyle modifications failto control glucose levels, oral hypoglycemic therapy or insulin therapyis required to control glucose levels and thus minimize complicationsrelated to the disease.

The term antihyperglycemic drugs as used in this specification refers todrugs that are useful in controlling or managing noninsulin-dependentdiabetes mellitus (NIDDM).

At present, the two main families of hypoglycemic agents available aresulfonylureas and biguanides. The use of sulfonylureas and biguanides inmonotherapy, in most cases, allows to obtain an effective glycometaboliccontrol for some years, if an appropriate diet and behavioural regimenare kept.

Medications for noninsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) that maybe used in the present invention include:

-   -   Biguanides such as Buformin, Metformin and Phenformin    -   Sulfonylureas: Chlorpropamide, Glibenclamide (Glyburide®),        Gliclazide, Glimepiride, Glipizide, Gliquidone, Tolazamide,        Tolbutamide, Acetohexamide, 1-Butyl-3-metanilylurea,        Carbutamide, Glibomuride, Glisoxepid, Glybuthiazol, Glybuzole,        Glyhexamide, Glymidine, Glypinamide, Phenbutamide, and        Tolcyclamide;    -   Alpha-glucosidase inhibitor: Acarbose    -   Thiazolidinediones (TZD): Pioglitazone, Rosiglitazone        (Avandia®), Troglitazone    -   Meglitinides: Nateglinide, Repaglinide    -   Dipeptidyl peptidase-4 (DPP-4) inhibitors: Sitagliptin,        Vildagliptin and Galvus® (vildagliptin, formerly LAF237)    -   Other glycemia regulators such as Glibomuride, Repaglinide,        Miglitol, Calcium Mesoxalate and Diazoxide

Example—Glibenclamide (Glyburide®)

Glibenclamide is a potent oral sulphonylurea hypoglycemic agent. Itlowers blood glucose concentration in diabetic and non-diabetic patientsby stimulating the release of insulin from the pancreas, which requiresfunctioning beta cells. It acts in concert with glucose (improvedsensitivity of beta cells to physiological glucose stimulus) and leadsto an insulin secretion in the rhythm of meals. Other mechanisms of thehypoglycemic action associated with short-term therapy appear to includereduction of basal hepatic glucose production and enhancement ofperipheral insulin action at post-receptor sites.

According to Mutalik, S, and N. Udupa, N. (2004), glibenclamidetransdermal patches successfully prevented severe hypoglycemia in theinitial hours, which is the major side effect associated with oralroute. The patches maintained similar effect during long-term treatmentalso. The transdermal systems produced better improvement with all thetested biochemical parameters compared to oral administration. Theyproduced improved repair of the tissues after diabetes induced tissueinjury and exhibited negligible skin irritation.

By automatically administering three times a day and transdermally,where first pass metabolism is reduced, glibenclamide can be a usefulmedication for the treatment of hyperglycemia. Dosing could be optimizedusing the ChronoDose™ system. For example, pulsatile delivery shouldhave blood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within thefollowing ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:30 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from90 to 110 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

1:00 pm-3:30 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from90 to 110 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

6:30 pm-9:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from90 to 110 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 11.

Example—Glipizide (Glucotrol®)

Glipizide is an oral medium-to-long acting anti-diabetic drug from thesulfonylurea class. The mechanism of action is produced by blockingpotassium K+ channels in the beta cells of the Islets of Langerhans. Bypartially blocking the K+ channels, there is an increase in the time thecell spends in the calcium release stage of cell signaling leading to anincrease in calcium. The increase in calcium will initiate more insulinrelease from each beta cell.

According to Mutalik, S, and N. Udupa, N. (2006), glipizide transdermalsystems produced better improvement with respect to hypoglycemicactivity, glucose tolerance and tested biochemical, histopathologicaland pharmacokinetic parameters all compared with oral administration andexhibited negligible skin irritation. The transdermal systemssuccessfully prevented severe hypoglycemia in the initial hours and itwas also effective for chronic application.

By automatically administering three times a day and transdermally,where first pass metabolism is reduced, glipizide can be a usefulmedication for the treatment of hyperglycemia. Dosing could be optimizedusing the ™ system. For example, pulsatile delivery should have bloodplasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within the followingranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:30 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from350 to 450 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

1:00 pm-3:30 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from350 to 450 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

6:30 pm-9:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from350 to 450 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 12.

Example—Rosiglitazone (Avandia®)

Rosiglitazone is an oral antidiabetic agent which acts primarily byincreasing insulin sensitivity. It is used in the management of type 2diabetes mellitus (also known as non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus(NIDDM) or adult-onset diabetes). Rosiglitazone improves glycemiccontrol while reducing circulating insulin levels. Pharmacologicalstudies in animal models indicate that rosiglitazone improvessensitivity to insulin in muscle and adipose tissue and inhibits hepaticgluconeogenesis. Rosiglitazone is not chemically or functionally relatedto the sulfonylureas, the biguanides, or the alpha-glucosidaseinhibitors.

By automatically administering three times a day and transdermally,where first pass metabolism is reduced, rosiglitazone can be a usefulmedication for the treatment of hyperglycemia. Dosing could be optimizedusing the ChronoDose™ system. For example, pulsatile delivery shouldhave blood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within thefollowing ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:30 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range from500 to 700 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

1:00 pm-3:30 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range from 500to 700 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

6:30 pm-9:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range from 500to 700 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 13.

Example—Metformin

Metformin is an oral medication that lowers blood glucose (sugar) and isused for treating type 2 diabetes. Metformin acts by increasing thesensitivity of liver, muscle, fat, and other tissues to the uptake andeffects of insulin. These actions lower the level of sugar in the blood.Unlike glucose-lowering drugs of the sulfonylurea class, e.g. glyburide(Micronase; Diabeta) or glipizide (Glucotrol), metformin does notincrease the concentration of insulin in the blood and, therefore, doesnot cause excessively low blood glucose levels (hypoglycemia) when usedalone. In scientific studies, metformin reduced the complications ofdiabetes such as heart disease, blindness and kidney disease.

By automatically administering three times a day and transdermally,where first pass metabolism is reduced, metformin can be a usefulmedication for the treatment of hyperglycemia. Dosing could be optimizedusing the ChronoDose™ system. For example, pulsatile delivery shouldhave blood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within thefollowing ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:30 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from1000 to 1600 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

1:00 pm-3:30 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from1000 to 1600 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

6:30 pm-9:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of 1000to 1600 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 14.

Application—Alzheimer's Disease

In the present invention, the drug delivery regimen is administered totreat the condition of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Alzheimer's disease isan irreversible, progressive disorder in which brain cells (neurons)deteriorate, resulting in the loss of cognitive functions, primarilymemory, judgment and reasoning, movement coordination, and patternrecognition. In advanced stages of the disease, all memory and mentalfunctioning may be lost.

The condition predominantly affects the cerebral cortex and hippocampus,which lose mass and shrink (atrophy) as the disease advances.

The two most significant physical findings in the cells of brainsaffected by Alzheimer's disease are neuritic plaques and neurofibrillarytangles. Another significant factor in AD is the greatly reducedpresence of acetylcholine in the cerebral cortex. Acetylcholine isnecessary for cognitive function.

While some neuritic plaques, or patches, are commonly found in brains ofelderly people, they appear in excessive numbers in the cerebral cortexof Alzheimer's disease patients. A protein called beta amyloid occupiesthe center of these plaques. Surrounding the protein are fragments ofdeteriorating neurons, especially those that produce acetylcholine(ACh), a neurotransmitter essential for processing memory and learning.Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transport information or signalsbetween neurons.

Neurofibrillary tangles (NFTs) are twisted remnants of a protein calledtau, which is found inside brain cells and is essential for maintainingproper cell structure and function. An abnormality in the tau proteindisrupts normal cell activity.

As people grow old, their need for medications increases dramaticallybecause of the higher incidence of chronic pain, diabetes mellitus,cardiovascular and neurological diseases in the elderly population.Furthermore, the elderly require special consideration with respect todrug delivery, drug interactions and adherence. In particular, patientswith chronic neurological diseases often require multiple administrationof drugs during the day to maintain constant plasma medication levels,which in turn increases the likelihood of poor adherence.

Upon waking, Alzheimer's disease patients can take pills or put on apatch. However, there is a 3-4 hour lag period before currentmedications reach peak blood concentrations when a pill or tablet istaken. Transdermal systems deliver drugs through the skin, while pillsgo to the stomach. Bypassing the stomach, medicine delivered via patchesmay help avoid gastrointestinal side effects such as nausea andvomiting. Patches may also be simpler to use than pills. Patients don'thave to remember when to take their pills, which may be particularlyhelpful with Alzheimer's disease, since Alzheimer's affects the brainand memory. Patients wearing patches also don't have to swallow pills, atask that's difficult for some patients.

Originally created to help treat glaucoma, cholinesterase inhibitors(AChE1s) eventually became the earliest medications in the treatment ofmild to moderate Alzheimer's disease. Cholinesterase inhibitors work byincreasing the concentration of a chemical messenger in the brain knownas acetylcholine. Acetylcholine is important in memory, thinking andother cognitive skills. Cholinesterase inhibitors are designed to keepamounts of this chemical high, even though the cells that transmit themcontinue to degenerate.

There is no cure for AD and no way to slow the progression of thedisease. For some people in the early or middle stages of AD, medicationsuch as tacrine (Cognex®) may alleviate some cognitive symptoms.Donepezil (Aricept®), rivastigmine (Exelon®), and galantamine (Reminyl®)may keep some symptoms from becoming worse for a limited time. A fifthdrug, memantine (Namenda®), was recently approved for use in the UnitedStates.

Combining memantine with other AD drugs may be more effective than anysingle therapy. One controlled clinical trial found that patientsreceiving donepezil plus memantine had better cognition and otherfunctions than patients receiving donepezil alone. Also, othermedications may help control behavioral symptoms such as sleeplessness,agitation, wandering, anxiety, and depression.

The acetylcholinesterase inhibitors donepezil, rivastigmine andgalantamine improve cognitive performance in manifest dementia. However,these substances also influence the quality of sleep, and particularlythe quality and amount of dreams.

Example—Tacrine (Cognex®)

Tacrine is the prototypical cholinesterase inhibitor for the treatmentof Alzheimer's disease. Studies have found that it may have a smallbeneficial effect on cognition and other clinical measures, thoughadequate study data is limited and the clinical relevance of thesefindings is unclear.

The use of tacrine is limited by poor oral bioavailability, thenecessity for four-times daily dosing, and considerable adverse drugreactions (including nausea, diarrhea, urinary incontinence andhepatotoxicity) such that few patients could tolerate therapeutic doses.

By automatically administering three times a day and transdermally,where first pass metabolism is reduced, tacrine can be a usefulmedication for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease. Dosing could beoptimized using the ChronoDose™ system. For example, pulsatile deliveryshould have blood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below withinthe following ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:30 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from2.5 to 10 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

1:00 pm-3:30 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from2.5 to 10 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Medium)

6:30 pm-9:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from1.5 to 7.0 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 19.

Example—Donepezil (Aricept®)

A recent study (Brunner et. al, 2005) investigated the influence of thetime point of donepezil intake on the occurrence of nightmares. Aclear-cut relationship between the occurrence of nightmares and anevening dose of donepezil in eight patients with AD was observed. Noneof the patients reported nightmares when donepezil was taken in themorning. This suggests that the activation of the visual associationcortex during REM sleep is enhanced by donepezil, a mechanism mostlikely facilitating the development of nightmares in patients with AD.

Therefore, morning dosing as well as customized dose amounts could beoptimized using the ChronoDose™ system. For example, pulsatile deliveryshould have blood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below withinthe following ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:00 am-9:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from15 to 30 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Optional)

5:00 pm-7:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium to low therapeutic range offrom 5 to 10 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 20.

Example—Rivastigmine (Exelon®)

Exelon™ (rivastigmine tartrate) is a reversible cholinesterase inhibitorand is known chemically as(S)—N-Ethyl-N-methyl-3-[1-(dimethylamino)ethyl]-phenyl carbamatehydrogen-(2R,3R)-tartrate. Rivastigmine tartrate is commonly referred toin the pharmacological literature as SDZ ENA 713 or ENA 713.

Pathological changes in Dementia of the Alzheimer type and Dementiaassociated with Parkinson's disease involve cholinergic neuronalpathways that project from the basal forebrain to the cerebral cortexand hippocampus. These pathways are thought to be intricately involvedin memory, attention, learning, and other cognitive processes. While theprecise mechanism of rivastigmine's action is unknown, it is postulatedto exert its therapeutic effect by enhancing cholinergic function. Thisis accomplished by increasing the concentration of acetylcholine throughreversible inhibition of its hydrolysis by cholinesterase.

The dosage of Exelon™ (rivastigmine tartrate) has been shown to beeffective when given as twice-a-day dosing. Therefore, morning, as wellas afternoon dosing and customized dose amounts could be optimized usingthe ChronoDose™ system. For example, pulsatile delivery should haveblood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within thefollowing ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:00 am-9:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from3.5 to 6 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

5:00 pm-7:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from 2to 4 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 21.

Example—Galantamine (Razadyne®)

Galantamine, an alkaloid extracted from daffodil bulbs, is the fourthcholinesterase inhibitor approved for Alzheimer's disease (AD).Galantamine is a competitive and reversible cholinesterase inhibitor. Itworks by enhancing cholinergic function by increasing the concentrationof acetylcholinesterase in the brain. Galantamine is a nicotinicmodulator and works by slowing down or inhibiting acetylcholinesterase,which is the enzyme responsible for degrading the neurotransmitteracetylcholine

Galantamine is usually taken twice a day, with the morning and eveningmeals. Therefore, morning, as well as afternoon dosing and customizeddose amounts could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:00 am-9:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from10 to 60 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

5:00 pm-7:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from 5to 30 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 22.

Example—Memantine (Namenda®)

Memantine is usually taken twice a day, with the morning and eveningmeals. Therefore, morning, as well as afternoon dosing and customizeddose amounts could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:00 am-9:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from25 to 100 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

5:00 pm-7:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from10 to 50 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 23.

Application—Sleep Disorders

A contemplated consumer product is the ArisePatch™. Most peopleexperience difficulty and discomfort when waking early in the morning.According to a 2002 National Sleep Foundation poll 49% of US adults age18-29 have trouble waking in the morning and 41% of US adults age 30-64have trouble waking in the morning. There are 165,000,000 adults in theUS alone age 18-64; meaning approximately 74,250,000 US adults age 18-64have trouble waking in the morning.

Adrenergic stimulants such as fenoterol, isoprenaline, orciprenaline,rimeterol, salbutamol, salmeterol, terbutaline, dobutamine,phenylephrine, phenylpropanolamine, pseudoephedrine may find particularutility in treating sleep disorders. Other stimulants which may findutility with the devices and methods of the present invention mayinclude Cocaine, Dextroamphetamine (Dexedrine), Methamphetamine(Desoxyn), Methylphenidate (Ritalin), Phenmetrazine (Preludin),Biphetamine, Benzphetamine, Didrex, Chlorphentermine, Clortermine,Phendimetrazine tartrate (Plegine, Prelu 2), Norpseudoephedrine,Diethylpropion hydrochloride (Tenuate), Fencamfamin, Fenproporex,Phentermine (Fastin, Ionamin, Adipex), Mazindol (Sanorex, Mazanor),Mefenorex, Modafinil (Provigil), Pemoline (Cylert (No longer availablein U.S.)), Pipradrol, Sibutramine (Meridia), Pyrovalerone,Diethylpropion, Fenproporex, Phentermine, Mazindol, Modafinil, Pemolineand Sibutramine.

The ArisePatch implementation of the present invention allowsindividuals, while asleep, to have an over-the-counter (OTC) orprescription stimulant automatically administered during a 1-2 hourpre-wake-up period. FIG. 40 illustrates an exemplary stimulantadministration profile showing a blood plasma level of ephedrine innanograms per milliliter on the vertical axis, with time on thehorizontal axis. Stimulant concentrations will reach peak levelsimmediately prior to having to wake Immediately upon waking up theindividual will be alert and feel well rested. The ArisePatch™ willeliminate the typical discomfort or difficulty associated with gettingup early. This functionality is attractive to employed people getting upfor work to ensure punctuality, and just about anyone who wants tooffset morning discomfort associated with a late night, jet lag, orsickness.

Application—Parkinson's Disease

The present invention may be used to treat, cure, prevent, control oralleviate a wide range of conditions and symptoms. In the presentinvention, the drug delivery regimen is administered to treat thecondition of Parkinson's disease (PD).

Parkinson's disease (PD) belongs to a group of conditions called motorsystem disorders. Parkinson's disease occurs when a group of cells in anarea of the brain called the substantia nigra begin to malfunction anddie. These cells in the substantia nigra produce a chemical calleddopamine Dopamine is a neurotransmitter, or chemical messenger, thatsends information to the parts of the brain that control movement andcoordination. The four primary symptoms of PD are tremor, or tremblingin hands, arms, legs, jaw, and face; rigidity, or stiffness of the limbsand trunk; bradykinesia, or slowness of movement; and posturalinstability, or impaired balance and coordination. As these symptomsbecome more pronounced, patients may have difficulty walking, talking,or completing other simple tasks.

Medications for Parkinson's disease that may be used in the presentinvention include:

-   -   Dopamine precursors such as (Dopar®) and (Larodopa®).    -   Carbidopa such as (Lodosyn®).    -   Dopa decarboxylase inhibitors such as Carbidopa and Benserazide.    -   Mixtures.        -   Levodopa/carbidopa mixtures such as (Sinemet®)        -   Levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone mixtures such as (Stalevo®)        -   Levodopa/benserazide mixtures such as (Madopar®) and            (Prolopat).    -   Dopamine agonists include bromocriptine (Parlodel®), pergolide        (Permax®), pramipexole (Mirapex®), rotigotine (Neupro®),        dihydroergocryptine, ropinirole (Requip®), cabergoline        (Cabaser®), apomorphine (Apokyn), lisuride (Revanil®) and        piribedil.    -   Anticholinergics such as biperiden (Akineton®), diphenhydramine        (Benadryl®), trihexyphenidyl (Artane®), benztropine mesylate        (Cogentin®), procyclidine (Kemadrin®).    -   MAO-B inhibitors such as selegiline or deprenyl (Eldepryl®,        Emsam® TTS), (Carbex®) and rasagiline (Azilect®).    -   COMT inhibitors such as entacapone (Comtan®) and tolcapone        (Tasmar®).    -   Dopaminergic Agonists such as Amantadine (Symmetrel®)    -   Ampakines such as: CX-516 (Ampalex), CX546, CX614 and CX717.    -   Newer medications such as Istradefylline (KW-6002),        S-(−)-2-(N-propyl-N-2-thienylethylamino)-5-hydroxytetralin        (N-0923) and Sarizotan.    -   Other anti-Parkinson's medications such as of bornaprine,        budipine, ethopropazine, lazabemide, memantine, modafinil,        talampanel, altinicline, brasofensine, safinamide, droxidopa,        piribedil, quinagolide, terguride, riluzole, talipexole,        piroheptine, bifeprunox, spheramine, sumanirole, lisuride        hydrogen maleateor, and orphenadrine.    -   Over-the-Counter Medications such as Coenzyme Q10 (CoQ-10),        Vitamin E, Vitamin C, and glutathione.

Dopar® is a registered trademark of Proctor and Gamble

Larodopa® is a registered trademark of Roche (Can.)

Lodosyn® is a registered trademark of MERCK & CO., INC

Sinemet® is a registered trademark of Merck & Co., Inc. and is marketedby Du Pont Pharmaceuticals.

Stalevo® a registered trademark of Novartis Pharmaceuticals Corp.

Madopar® is a registered trademark of Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd.

Prolopa® is a registered trademark of Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd

Permax® is a registered trademark of Amarin Corporation

Parlodel is a registered trademark of Novartis Inc.

Mirapex® is a registered trademark of Pharmacia Corporation.

Requip® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline.

Cabaser® is a registered trademark of Pharmacia Australia Pty Limited

Apokyn® is a registered trademark of Vernalis Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Revanil® is a registered trademark of

Akineton® is a registered trademark of Knoll AG

Benadryl® is a registered trademark of Pfizer, Inc.

Artane® is a registered trademark of American Cyanamid Company, LederleLaboratories Division.

Cogentin® is a registered trademark of Merck & Co., Inc.

Kemadrin® is a trademark of the GlaxoSmithKline group of companies.

Eldepryl® is a registered trademark of Somerset Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Emsam® TTS is a registered trademark of Somerset Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Carbex® is a registered trademark of Du Pont Pharmaceuticals.

Azilect® is a registered trademark of Teva Pharmaceutical IndustriesLtd.

Comtan® is a registered trademark of Novartis AG

Tasmar® is a registered trademark of Hoffinann-La Roche Ltd.

Symmetrel® is a registered trademark of Endo Pharmaceuticals, Inc.

Neupro® is a registered trademark of Schwarz Pharma AG

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

As people grow old, their need for medications increases dramaticallybecause of the higher incidence of chronic pain, diabetes mellitus,cardiovascular and neurological diseases in the elderly population.Furthermore, the elderly require special consideration with respect todrug delivery, drug interactions and adherence. In particular, patientswith chronic neurological diseases often require multiple administrationof drugs during the day to maintain constant plasma medication levels,which in turn increases the likelihood of poor adherence. Consequently,several attempts have been made to develop pharmacological preparationsthat can achieve a constant rate of drug delivery. For example,transdermal lisuride and apomorphine have been shown to reduce motorfluctuations and duration of ‘off’ periods in advanced Parkinson'sdisease, while rotigotine allows significant down-titration of levodopawithout severe adverse effects. Thus, parkinsonian patients withlong-term levodopa syndrome or motor disorders during sleep couldbenefit from use of transdermal lisuride and apomorphine. Moreover,transdermal dopaminergic drugs, particularly rotigotine, seem the idealtreatment for patients experiencing restless legs syndrome or periodiclimb movement disorder during sleep, disorders that are quite common inelderly people or in association with neurodegenerative diseases.

Parkinson's disease symptoms usually peak immediately upon waking. MostParkinson's sufferers can barely move upon waking and are immobile dueto the fact most medications for Parkinson's disease stop acting beforeawaking.

In addition, some Parkinson's medications have stimulant effects andcannot be administered during the sleep cycle. Upon waking, Parkinson'sdisease patients can take pills or put on a patch. However, there is a4-hour lag period before current medications reach peak bloodconcentrations.

Clinical studies have shown that up to 82% of patients suffering withParkinson's disease have difficulty swallowing and tend to dribble.Conventional selegiline tablets, syrups, and the like, still require thepatient to attempt swallowing. Moreover, conventional tablets need to beadministered with water, requiring another difficult swallowing act forsuch patients.

From a clinical perspective, it would be highly desirable to administerParkinson's medication while enhancing the bioavailability of the activeingredient and avoiding first pass effect and its undesirablemetabolites, hence affording a comparatively rapid onset and prolongedduration of effect as compared to conventional administration forms.Even more desirable would be the ability to administer Parkinson'smedication in a dosage form that does not present difficulty iningestion in those patients that have difficulty swallowing, can behandled easily, and affords assurance and greater predictability of itsadministration and effect.

Biosynchronous transdermal drug delivery administered by the ChronoDose™system will automatically turn off drug delivery at night for soundsleep, and automatically turn on and release higher doses of medicationprior to waking up.

Example—Selegiline (Eldepryl®, Emsam® TTS)

Sleep disturbances in Parkinson's disease patients reveal alterations ofcircadian rhythms. Autonomic dysfunction, described in Parkinson'sdisease, reveals numerous alterations in circadian regulations includingloss of circadian rhythm of blood pressure, increased diurnal bloodpressure variability, and postprandial hypotension. Many biologicindices such as cortisol, catecholamines, and melatonin are alsoaltered. Circadian rhythms in dopaminergic systems as well as possibledaily fluctuations in kinetics of drug treatments are likely involved insuch variations.

Parkinson's disease is believed to be caused by a lack of dopamine inthe brain. Selegiline is used as an adjunctive therapy withlevodopa/carbidopa mixtures when there is a deterioration in the qualityof response to levodopa/carbidopa therapy. Selegiline prevents theenzyme monoamine oxidase type B (MAO B) from breaking down dopamine inthe brain. This allows dopamine to remain active in the brain for alonger period of time.

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Peak 1 (Highest)

7:30 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from1.2 to 1.6 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

1:00 pm-3:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from1.2 to 1.6 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 24.

Example—Ropinerole (Requip®)

Ropinerole stimulates dopamine production. However, one of the majorside effects is sleepiness. Patients report falling asleep without anywarning signs during activities of daily living, including operation ofa motor vehicle, which sometimes resulted in accidents. Hallucinationsand dizziness upon standing may also occur.

By taking advantage of the somnolence side effect of ropinerole, dosingcould be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. For example, pulsatiledelivery should have blood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forthbelow within the following ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

11:00 pm-5:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range from7.5 to 10.0 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

6:00 am-1:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from5.0 to 9.0 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Lowest)

2:00 pm-8:00 pm: BPC should be in the lowest therapeutic range of from4.0 to 5.5 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 25.

Example—Apomorphine (Apokyn®)

Apomorphine as a dopamine agonist appears to relieve the symptoms ofparkinsonism for patients who experience severe motor fluctuations afterchronic levodopa therapy. It has been approved for the acute,intermittent treatment of hypomobility, “off” episodes (“end-of-dosewearing off” and unpredictable “on/off” episodes) associated withadvanced Parkinson's disease (Prod Info Apokyn™ 2004). In the past,apomorphine was not widely used because of tolerance issues (apomorphinehas strong emetic and hypotensive effects), its short duration of actionand the need for parenteral administration. However its rapid onset ofaction can be advantageous during “off” episodes and apomorphine mayhave a role in the treatment of patients not adequately treated withlevodopa or other anti-parkinsonian medications (LeWitt, 2004).Apomorphine transdermal emulsion has been tested by Priano et al (2003).

Peak 1 (Highest)

1200 am-2:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from24 to 34 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

5:00 am-7:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from24 to 34 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 26.

Example—Pramipexole (Mirapex®)

Even though Mirapex® stimulates dopamine production, one of the majorside effects is sleepiness, which is why it is also used off-label for avariety of sleep disorders. Patients have reported falling asleepwithout any warning signs during activities of daily living, includingoperation of a motor vehicle, which sometimes resulted in accidents.Hallucinations and dizziness upon standing may also occur.

By taking advantage of the somnolence side effect of pramipexole, dosingcould be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system, with a higher dosegiven at night. For example, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasmaconcentrations (BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges atthe following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

11:00 pm-5:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from1.2 to 2.1 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

6:00 am-1:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from1.0 to 1.6 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Lowest)

2:00 pm-8:00 pm: BPC should be in the lowest therapeutic range of from0.8 to 1.3 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 27.

Example—Biperiden (Akineton®)

Biperiden is a weak peripheral anticholinergic agent. Parkinsonism isthought to result from an imbalance between the excitatory (cholinergic)and inhibitory (dopaminergic) systems in the corpus striatum. Themechanism of action of centrally active anticholinergic drugs such asbiperiden is considered to relate to competitive antagonism ofacetylcholine at cholinergic receptors in the corpus striatum, whichthen restores the balance. Biperiden is used as an adjunct in thetherapy of all forms of parkinsonism (idiopathic, postencephalitic,arteriosclerotic), as well as for control of extrapyramidal disorderssecondary to neuroleptic drug therapy (e.g., phenothiazines)

Biperiden (Akineton®) is usually prescribed to be taken three or fourtimes a day. Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™system. For example, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasmaconcentrations (BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges atthe following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:30 am-8:30 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from2.5 to 5.1 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

1:30 pm-4:30 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from2.5 to 5.1 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

9:30 pm-12:30 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from2.5 to 5.1 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 28.

Example—Bromocriptine (Parlodel®)

Bromocriptine mesylate mimics the action of dopamine by fitting into thedopamine pockets on the surface of the nerve cell that is receiving thedopamine message. One advantage of this substitution approach is thatdyskinesias are less likely to occur. This is because the amount ofdopamine is not actually being increased, as with Levodopa/carbidopamixtures. Instead, bromocriptine acts as a substitute for dopamine. Thismakes it less likely for dyskinesias to occur since they are caused bytoo much dopamine in the brain.

Bromocriptine may cause some people to become drowsy, dizzy, or lessalert than they are normally. By taking advantage of the somnolence sideeffect of bromocriptine, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™system, with a higher dose given at night. For example, pulsatiledelivery should have blood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forthbelow within the following ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

11:00 pm-5:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from0.70 to 1.0 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

6:00 am-1:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from0.85 to 0.45 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Medium)

2:00 pm-8:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from0.85 to 0.45 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 29.

Example—Levodopa (Larodopa®)

Within four to six years of treatment with levodopa, the effects of thedrug in many patients begin to last for shorter periods of time (calledthe wearing off effect) and the following pattern may occur:

-   -   Patients may first notice slowness (bradykinesia) or tremor in        the morning before the next dose is due.    -   Less commonly, some experience painful dystonia, muscle spasms        that can cause sustained contortions of various parts of the        body, particularly the neck, jaw, trunk, and eyes and possibly        the feet.    -   Patients must increase the frequency of levodopa doses. This        puts them at risk for dyskinesia (the inability to control        muscles), which usually occurs when the drug level peaks.        Dyskinesia can take many forms, most often uncontrolled flailing        of the arms and legs or chorea, rapid and repetitive motions        that can affect the limbs, face, tongue, mouth, and neck.        Dyskinesia is not painful, but it is very distressing.

In some people, eventually L-dopa is effective only for one to two hoursand most patients start to experience motor fluctuations. In about 15%to 20% of patients such fluctuations become extreme, a phenomenon knownas the on-off effect, which consists of unpredictable, alternatingperiods of dyskinesia and immobility. Sometimes the symptoms switch backin forth within minutes or even seconds. The transition may follow suchsymptoms as intense anxiety, sweating, and rapid heartbeats. In order toreduce the effects of fluctuation and the wearing-off effect, it isimportant to maintain as consistent a level of dopamine as possible.Unfortunately, oral levodopa is poorly absorbed and may remain in thestomach a long time. Two strategies have been suggested to take care ofthese problems:

1. Taking multiple small doses on an empty stomach by crushing the pillsand mixing them with a lot of liquid.

2. Taking the liquid form of levodopa/carbidopa mixtures, which mayproduce fewer fluctuations and a prolonged “on” time compared with thetablet.

Automated, periodic dosing by the ChronoDose™ system can address theseimmediate concerns. For example, pulsatile delivery should have bloodplasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within the followingranges at the following times:

For 4 Doses

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:00 am to 8:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of1.4 to 2.0 μg/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of1.4 to 2.0 μg/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

6:00 am to 8:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of1.4 to 2.0 μg/ml.

Peak 4 (Highest)

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of1.4 to 2.0 μg/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 30.

For 6 Doses

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:00 am to 8:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range offrom 1.4 to 2.0

Peak 2 (Highest)

10:00 am to 12:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range offrom 1.4 to 2.0

Peak 3 (Highest)

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range offrom 1.4 to 2.0 μg/ml.

Peak 4 (Highest)

6:00 am to 8:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range offrom 1.4 to 2.0

Peak 5 (Highest)

10:00 am to 12:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range offrom 1.4 to 2.0

Peak 6 (Highest)

3:00 pm to 5:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range offrom 1.4 to 2.0 μg/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 31.

For 12 Doses

All Peaks1 (Highest)

Every 2 Hrs.: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from 1.4to 2.0 μg/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 32.

The examples above describe the multiple dosing regimens and plasmablood plasma concentration profiles for the major medications used forParkinson's disease and serve as models for automated dosing by theChronoDose™ system. Other medications for Parkinson's disease, asdescribed above, can be dosed in similar fashion and are includedherein.

Application—Attention Deficient Disorder (ADD) and/or AttentionDeficit-Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

The present invention may be used to treat, cure, prevent, control oralleviate a wide range of conditions and symptoms. In the presentinvention, the drug delivery regimen is administered to treat thecondition of Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) and/or and attentiondeficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Most tragic are circumstances where children have died of heart failureduring recess and periods of physical activity. A device is urgentlyneeded that can turn off during periods of physical activity (recess,after school sports). The transdermal delivery techniques of the presentinvention allow for programming to increase safety by decreasing bloodplasma concentrations of ADD/ADHD medicaments during periods of physicalactivity so as to decrease adverse side effects of drugs which maycontribute to overexertion of the heart.

Medications for attention deficit disorder (ADD) and attentiondeficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) which may be used in the presentinvention include:

-   -   Stimulants such as methylphenidate (Ritalin®),        dextro-amphetamine sulfate    -   (Dexedrine®) and dextro-amphetamine sulfate with other        amphetamine mixture (Adderall®),    -   Non-stimulants such as atomoxetine (Strattera®)    -   Antidepressants such as imipramine, desipramine and        nortriptyline.    -   SSRIs such as bupropion HCl (Wellbutrin@ and Zybani®).    -   Pemoline (Cylert®—not commonly used anymore due to liver damage)    -   Ampakines such as: CX-516 (Ampalex), CX546, CX614 and CX717.    -   Newer norepinephrine-selective-uptake inhibitors may be useful        in this disorder.

A list of less often prescribed medicines sometimes used together withpsychotropics include: citalopram (Celexa®), Clonidine (Catapres®,Dixarit®, Catapres-TTS®), methylphenidate (Concerta®), valproic acid(Depakote®), paroxetine (Paxil®), fluoxetine (Prozac®), risperidone(Risperidal®), carbamazepine (Tegretol®), guanfacine hydrochloride(Tenex®), and sertraline (Zoloft®).

Additional medications used for ADD/ADHD include: dextro-methylphenidate(Focalin®), imipramine (Tofranil®), methylphenidate (Metadate®),methylphenidate HCl (Methylin ER®), desipramine (Norpramine®),nortriptyline (Pamelor®), modafinil (Provigil®) and dextroamphetamine(DextroStat®).

Ritalin® is a registered trademark of Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Adderall® is a registered trademark of Shire US Inc.

Dexedrine® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline

Strattera® is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly and Company

Wellbutrin® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline

Zyban® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline

Cylert® is a registered trademark of Abbott Laboratories

Celexa® is a registered trademark of Forest Pharmaceuticals

Catapres®, Dixarit®, Catapres-TTS® are registered trademarks ofBoehringer Ingelheim

Concerta® is a registered trademark of ALZA

DepaKote® is a registered trademark of Abbott Laboratories

Paxel® is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline

Prozac® is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly and Company

Zoloft® is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc.

Resperidal® is a registered trademark of Janssen

Tegretol® is a registered trademark of Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Tenex® is a registered trademark of A.H. Robins

Focalin® is a registered trademark of Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Tofranil® is a registered trademark of Novartis Pharmaceuticals

Metadate® is a registered trademark of Celltech

Methylin® is a registered trademark of Mallinckrodt

Norpramine® is a registered trademark of Avenis Pharmaceuticals

Pamelor® is a registered trademark of Sandoz Pharmaceuticals

DextroStat® is a registered trademark of Shire

Provigil® is a registered trademark of Cephalon, Inc.

Example—Methylphenidate (Ritalin®)

Methylphenidate (Ritalin®) is indicated as an integral part of a totaltreatment program which typically includes other remedial measures(psychological, educational, social) for a stabilizing effect inchildren with a behavioral syndrome characterized by the following groupof developmentally inappropriate symptoms: moderate-to-severedistractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotionallability, and impulsivity.

Methylphenidate is usually administered in divided doses 2 or 3 timesdaily, preferably 30 to 45 minutes before meals. Patients who are unableto sleep if medication is taken late in the day should take the lastdose before 6 p.m. Since the suggested first dose is early in themorning, it would be beneficial to automatically control the dosage.

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

For 2 doses

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:00 am-8:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of 8-25ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

3:00 pm-5:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from8 to 25 ng/ml.

For 3 Doses

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:00 am-8:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of 8-25ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

10:00 am to 12:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of8-25 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

3:00 pm-5:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from8 to 25 ng/ml.

The time/dose charts should appear as shown in FIGS. 33 and 34.

Example—Dextro-Amphetamine (Adderall®)

Dextro-amphetamine and dextro-amphetamine sulfate with other amphetaminecomplexes (Adderall®) is also prescribed as an integral part of a totaltreatment program which typically includes other remedial measures(psychological, educational, social) for a stabilizing effect inchildren with a behavioral syndrome characterized by the following groupof developmentally inappropriate symptoms: moderate-to-severedistractibility, short attention span, hyperactivity, emotionallability, and impulsivity.

Dextro-amphetamine is usually administered as a single dose 1 or 2 timesdaily, preferably at 8:00 AM and 4:00 PM. Less overall side effects anddose equivalence were experienced with lower doses of Adderall®, whencompared to higher doses of methylphenidate (1:2 ratio, Adderall® toRitalin®). Since the suggested first dose is early in the morning, itwould be beneficial to automatically control the dosage.

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:00 am-8:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of 8-15ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

3:00 pm-5:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from8 to 15 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 35.

Example—Atomoxetine (Strattera®)

Studies of atomoxetine clearly demonstrate short-term efficacy relativeto placebo in reducing both inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive ADHDsymptoms and improving family and social functioning. A preliminary9-week, open-label study, reported by Kratochvil and colleagues comparedatomoxetine to a stimulant medication. Both atomoxetine andmethylphenidate were associated with reductions in ADHD symptoms andimproved global ratings in children aged 7 to 15, according to parentand clinician ratings. Atomoxetine (administered twice daily) andmethylphenidate (administered either 2 or 3 times daily) were both welltolerated, with vomiting, insomnia, and weight loss reported more oftenfor the group receiving atomoxetine.

Additionally, atomoxetine is prescribed using weight based dosing,usually 1.2 mg/kg/day to be taken twice a day. The peak plasmaconcentration occurs at 1-2 hrs. after dosing, with a half-life averageof 3.12 hours.

Atomoxetine, with its different mechanism of action, is associated witha slightly different side-effect profile than stimulant medications,particularly increased somnolence and gastrointestinal symptoms inchildren. These side effects can be reduced or eliminated using atransdermal system. For individuals at risk of stimulant abuse, or whodisplay stimulant-related side effects, which are not transitory, orinsignificant (eg, severe stimulant-induced insomnia or tics),atomoxetine and other non-stimulants provide a welcome alternative.

The examples above describe the multiple dosing regimens and plasmablood plasma concentration profiles for the major ADD/ADHD medicationsand serve as models for automated dosing by the ChronoDose™ system.Other medications for ADD/ADHD, as described above, can be dosed insimilar fashion and are included herein.

Application—Nicotine Addiction

Example—Smoking Cessation

The present invention may be used to treat, cure, prevent, control oralleviate a wide range of conditions and symptoms. In the presentinvention, the drug delivery regimen is administered to treat thecondition of smoking and nicotine addiction.

-   -   Medications and substances for smoking cessation, which may be        used in the present invention include:    -   Stimulants such as nicotine or nicotine analogs.    -   Anti-depressants such as Bupropion (Zyban®).    -   Partial nicotinic agonists such as Varenicline (Chantix®).    -   Anticholinergic drugs such as atropine and scopolamine    -   Other medications such as Rimonabant (a CB-1 receptor blocker),        herbals, plantago major, botanicals, phytochemicals,        phytonutrients, plant extracts, naturopathic, homeopathic drugs        and substances, nutraceticals and others.

Example—Nicotine

Nicotine replacement has been the most frequently used therapy tosupport smokers in their effort to quit. Smokers report that the cravingfor a cigarette is greatest immediately upon waking in the morning. Thetime elapsed between wakening and the first cigarette is the bestindicator of addiction. For most smokers this period of time is only afew minutes. Additionally, research has shown that nicotine transdermaldelivery is influenced by chronopharmacokinetics. Nicotine patch designshould compensate by decreasing the dose at night as well as increasingthe dose in the morning and after meals (Gries et al., 1998).

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

Current nicotine patches cause severe sleep disturbances by releasingnicotine steadily throughout the night to ensure sufficient morningnicotine levels to offset the strong morning craving. It is widelyaccepted that current nicotine patches have a detrimental and commonside effect-sleeping disorders, and insomnia, including persistentnightmares. Therefore, users are often forced to remove the patch in theevening before they go to bed. This eliminates sleep disturbances, butresults in nicotine levels that are insufficient to offset the strongmorning craving. This is a major drawback to current nicotine patchesand many users relapse, resulting in a less efficient smoking cessationtherapy. Current patches present the user with a difficult decision,choosing between nightmares and relief from the strong morning cravings.

An exemplary product contemplated by the present invention is calledNicotine ChronoDose™ system. In accordance with the present invention,the system can begin to administer nicotine (or nicotine analogs or anyother smoking cessation compound) automatically during a one-hour periodimmediately prior to waking. This will relieve the smoker's peak cravingupon waking without causing nightmares and insomnia. We believe thatthis system clearly provides a superior method for smoking cessation.

A more advanced nicotine replacement system than that described above isworn for three days at a time and is programmed to release nicotine in adaily rhythmic pattern such as shown in FIG. 8 to offset peaks in asmoker's cravings. FIG. 8 illustrates an exemplary nicotineadministration profile showing a blood plasma level of nicotine innanograms per milliliter on the vertical axis, with time on thehorizontal axis. This implementation will reduce nicotine dependency byadministering pre-programmed levels of nicotine pursuant to typicalsmoking patterns. For instance many smokers report that cravings for acigarette are greatest upon waking up, after lunch, mid afternoon, afterdinner and before bedtime. This implementation of the present inventionwill automatically release larger doses of nicotine to offset peakcravings and no nicotine when cravings are typically at a minimum. Thepresent invention may be delivered in a preprogrammed manner for eachtreatment regimen. The only involvement by the user will be thereplacement of the ‘reservoir’ every three days, and the replacement ofthe platform housing as needed.

This implementation represents a tremendous move forward in nicotinereplacement therapy, and is far superior to the old-technology systemsthat simply release the same amount of nicotine all day and night. Withthe present invention, one can systematically decrease a smoker'stolerance without increasing dependence (the result of a constant flow)and better wean a smoker off nicotine, as shown in FIGS. 9 and 10. Thiswill allow the smoker to better ‘tailor-down’ and decrease the amount ofnicotine he needs to quit. Modern smoking cessation is much more thannicotine replacement therapy. Programs also include weight control, dietand psychological support. The present invention fits well into theseprograms, since it addresses the key component of being able to quitsmoking by efficiently countering the withdrawal symptoms while doingaway with the negative side effects of current nicotine replacementtherapy systems, namely sleep disturbance.

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Phase I

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:00 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from44 to 24 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

12:00 pm-2:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from38 to 24 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Lowest)

5:00 pm-7:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from38 to 18 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 36.

Phase II

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:00 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from28 to 12 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

12:00 pm-2:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from23 to 12 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Lowest)

5:00 pm-7:00 pm: BPC should be in the lowest therapeutic range of from20 to 8 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 37.

Phase III

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:00 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from18 to 8 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

12:00 pm-2:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from12 to 6 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Lowest)

5:00 pm-7:00 pm: BPC should be in the lowest therapeutic range of from10 to 4 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 38.

Example—Bupropion (Zyban®)

Bupropion (Zyban) is a prescription antidepressant in anextended-release form that reduces symptoms of nicotine withdrawal. Itdoes not contain nicotine. This drug affects chemicals in the brain thatare related to nicotine craving. It can be used alone or together withnicotine replacement. Some doctors may recommend combination drugtherapy for heavily addicted smokers, such as using bupropion along witha nicotine replacement patch and/or a short acting from of nicotinereplacement (such as gum or lozenges).

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Peak 1 (Highest)

6:00 am-8:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from80 to 140 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

2:00 pm-4:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from80 to 140 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

10:00 pm-12:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range offrom 80 to 140 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 39.

Example—Varenicline (Chantix®)

Varenicline (Chantix®) is a newer medicine developed specifically tohelp people stop smoking. It stimulates dopamine production as well asblocking nicotine receptors in the brain. It works by interfering withnicotine receptors in the brain, which has two effects. It lessens thepleasurable physical effects a person gets from smoking, as well asreducing the symptoms of nicotine withdrawal.

Several studies have shown varenicline can more than double the chancesof quitting smoking. Some studies have also found it may be moreeffective than bupropion, at least in the short term. Reported sideeffects of varenicline, however, have included headaches, nausea,vomiting, trouble sleeping, unusual dreams, flatulence (gas), andchanges in taste.

Other Medications:

Atropine and scopolamine combination therapy: Some smoking cessationclinics offer a program using shots of the anticholinergic drugsatropine and scopolamine to help reduce nicotine withdrawal symptoms.These drugs are more commonly prescribed for other reasons, such asdigestive system problems, motion sickness, or Parkinson's disease.

For example, the drug delivery regimen of the present invention isadministered to treat a condition selected from the group consisting ofvitamin and/or mineral deficiency, Cancer, Addiction, Arthritis,Parkinson's Disease, Attention Deficit Disorder, CardiovascularDisorder, Cold/Flu Symptoms, Pain, Childhood Bronchial Asthma, PepticUlcer, Post-operative Recuperation, and so forth as shown below.

Application—Angina

Example—Nitroglycerin

Research shows that variant angina occurs 30 times more often between2:00 a.m. and 4:00 a.m. (‘critical angina phase’) than at any other timeof the day. Nitroglycerin effectively combats angina attacks, ifadministered in optimal doses. Current nitroglycerin patches exist, butthey can only release a constant amount of nitroglycerin steadily overtime. Current patches cannot tailor the release of nitroglycerin tooptimize treatment by releasing more nitroglycerine precisely during thecritical angina phase to offset these peak symptoms.

In addition, nitroglycerine loses its effectiveness and requires higherand higher dosages when administered constantly. Our bodies becometolerant to it. Current systems cannot stop or decrease the release ofnitroglycerine when disease symptoms are lowest. Thus, these current‘dumb’ patches cannot offset the critical angina phase by releasing moreof the drug, nor can they shut down or stop nitroglycerin administrationwhen the body doesn't need it. It is a ‘one dose fits all’ type ofscenario once each “dumb” patch is applied to the patient.

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

The method in accordance with the present invention utilizes anautomated transdermal system in order to transdermally administer morenitroglycerin during the critical angina phase to ensure adequate offsetof these symptoms and less nitroglycerin when it is not needed so thatno tolerance builds up. Our method utilizes a ‘smart’ patch medicinesystem at this time to offset these peak critical phases in the diseasecycle arising due to the human body's circadian rhythm.

The pre-programmable automated transdermal system is worn around thewrist-like a watch (or the forearm arm or ankle) and releasesnitroglycerin in optimal dosages at times that are optimallysynchronized. This is pursuant to a pre-programmed and tailored dosageprofile. Current nitroglycerin patches only have the capability torelease a constant dose of nitroglycerin over a period of time. Currentnitroglycerin patches simply cannot alter or vary dosages to increasedosages at different times of the day, and decrease dosages at othertimes of the day.

The nitroglycerin system in accordance with the present invention hasthree primary advantages over current nitroglycerin patches. First, thesystem automatically and precisely releases nitroglycerin in peakamounts to offset the peak symptoms of morning attacks occurring duringthe critical angina phase. Current nitroglycerin patches have releaserates that stay constant and do not increase to offset critical phases,and do not decrease as symptoms decrease. Second, our system solves thetolerance issue by releasing less (or no) nitroglycerin in off-peakhours, and then releasing nitroglycerin at just the right time so thatit is present during critical periods, without increasing tolerance.Third, our system accomplishes 1 and 2 above automatically, without theneed for a patient to wake up to take a drug at this critical phase,which does away with the need for any increased patient compliance.

The nitroglycerin system represents an ideal delivery system forpatients who use nitroglycerin regularly for the treatment and/or theprevention of heart attacks and strokes. Patient compliance regardingthe timing and dose of heart attack medication is crucial. Patientnon-compliance with physician's instructions for this is often a causeof re-hospitalization, according to the US Department of Health andHuman Services. The system solves this problem, and will decrease theneed for re-hospitalization by dramatically increasing patientcompliance.

This system can be either an ‘wear each night and remove in the morning’system, whereby it only releases nitroglycerin automatically to offsetthe critical angina phase in the morning, or a ‘total solution’ system,that is worn for a period of 24 hours to several days, and thatadministers nitroglycerin in tailored amounts and at tailored times assynchronized with the body's circadian rhythm (and conveniently takenoff while showering or swimming)

The system is an innovative new drug therapy for angina. With theadvantage of optimized and automated time and dose administrationsynchronized with a person's circadian rhythms, the system in accordancewith the present invention ensures that nitroglycerin will circulate inthe bloodstream exactly when the patient needs it, and without any buildup tolerance. For these reasons, the present invention is superior tocurrent steady release nitroglycerin patches. Our system's increasedadvantages are extremely relevant for those patients with moderate tosevere angina.

FIG. 41 shows an exemplary administration profile for a nitroglycerindelivery system tailored to treat variant angina attacks or anginapectoris. This type of angina attack has a peak frequency in manypatients between the hours of 2:00 and 4:00 AM. This is a particularlydifficult time to wake up to take a drug such as nitroglycerin. Inaccordance with the present invention an administration profilesubstantially like that shown in FIG. 41 is automatically administered.In FIG. 41 the vertical axis indicates blood plasma level in nanogramsper milliliter, and the horizontal axis indicates time from 10:00 PMthrough the night to 8:00 AM.

FIG. 42 illustrates an exemplary administration profile for anitroglycerin delivery system tailored to treat stress-induced anginaattack. In FIG. 42 the vertical axis indicates blood plasma level innanograms per milliliter, and the horizontal axis indicates time from12:00 AM through the day until about 4:00 PM. The administration profileshown in FIG. 42 provides a high blood plasma concentration throughoutthe waking hours of a day when stress is likely occur.

Application—Arthritis

Examples—Indomethacin, Valdecoxib

An automated, and programmed, pulsatile drug delivery regimen is desiredto in order to increase drug concentrations automatically in themorning, just before a person awakes and the symptoms of arthritis arethe worst. Later, towards mid-day, the drug concentration is alsoincreased. Then in the evening, the drug dose is increased prior tobedtime.

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

The most common forms, osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis, bothshow distinctive circadian patterns of pain. While many people feelstiff for an hour or so after first getting up in the morning, peoplewith osteoarthritis typically hurt most and have the most difficultymoving in the afternoon and evening. Those with rheumatoid arthritisalmost always feel much worst in the morning. By dosing at night, earlymorning and mid-day, the benefits of non-steroidal anti-inflammatorydrugs (NSAIDs) and cyclocoygenase-2 inhibitors (COX-2) can be maximizedand side effects reduced.

Examples of medications for arthritis include:

Indomethacin (Indocin®)

Diclofinac (Voltarin® and Cataflam®)

Flurbiprofen (ANSAID®)

Celecoxib (Celebrex®)

Valdecoxib (Bextra®)

Acetomenophen (Tylenol®)

Oxaceprol

Example—Indomethacin (NSAID)

The primary adverse side effect of Indomethacin is gastrointestinalupset and bleeding.

Therefore a transdermal arthritis patch would be a beneficial dosageform as opposed to oral tablets and capsules. Additionally, studiesusing indomethacin showed better efficacy and patient compliance whendosed at night than when dosed at 8:00 am.

Theoretical unenhanced transdermal flux for indomethacin (Berner-Cooperpredictive model) is 0.93 ug/cm2/hr.

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Peak 1 (Highest)

5:00 am-9:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of0.5-2.0 mcg/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

12:00 pm to 8:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of0.25-1.5 mcg/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

8:00 pm-11:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from0.5 to 2.0 mcg/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 43.

Example—Valdecoxib (COX-2 Inhibitor)

Like indomethacin, the primary adverse side effect of COX-2 inhibitorsis gastrointestinal upset and bleeding. Therefore a transdermalarthritis patch would be a beneficial dosage form as opposed to oraltablets and capsules. Lower blood plasma concentrations of COX-2inhibitors delivered transdermally has been suggested as therapeuticallyequivalent to higher BPC obtained by oral dosing.

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Peak 1 (Highest)

5:00 am-9:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of50-175 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Medium)

12:00 pm to 8:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of21-125 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Highest)

8:00 pm-11:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of from50 to 175 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 44.

Application—Asthma

Example—Tulobuterol

The automated transdermal asthma system automatically administers amorning dose of albuterol, tulobuterol, salmeterol, beta 2 agonist orany other antiarrhythmic drug (an ‘Asthma drug’) to combat the peaksymptom of morning asthma attacks known as the ‘morning dip’.

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

Asthma attacks occur 100 (one hundred) times more often between thehours 4 A.M. and 6 A.M., when most people are asleep. This is due to theearly morning deterioration of respiratory function known as ‘morningdip’, which is the time of day that respiratory function is at itslowest. These early morning asthma attacks cause great distress tosufferers and care providers. The morning dip represents the dip inrespiratory function at this time when asthma attacks are 100 times morelikely to occur. Our system effectively combats the morning dip byreleasing more Asthma drug at this time to offset this peak morningsymptom. In other words, our ‘smart’ patch varies the level of drug inthe bloodstream so that drug concentrations are highest when respiratoryfunction is at its lowest.

Current ‘dumb’ asthma patches exist, but they can only release aconstant amount of drug steadily over time. Current patches cannottailor the release of drug to optimize treatment by releasing more drugprecisely during the morning dip to offset these peak critical symptoms.

The Asthma system has two primary advantages over current patches.First, the system of the present invention utilizes its core competitiveadvantage to automatically and precisely release tulobuterol or otherasthma drugs in peak amounts to offset the peak symptoms associated withthe morning dip. Current patches have release rates that stay constantand do not increase to offset this peak critical phases, and do notdecrease as symptoms decrease. Second, our system accomplishes 1 and 2above automatically, without the need for a patient to wake up to take adrug at this critical phase, which does away with the need for anyincreased patient compliance.

The automated transdermal system for asthma is worn around the wristlike a watch (or the forearm arm or ankle) and releases albuterol orother asthma drugs in optimal dosages at times that are optimallysynchronized, especially to offset the morning dip, pursuant to apre-programmed and tailored dosage profile. Current Asthma patches onlyhave the capability to release a constant dose over a period of time.Current Asthma patches simply cannot alter or vary dosages to increasedosages at different times of the day, and decrease dosages at othertimes of the day.

The system is an innovative new drug therapy for asthma. With itssuperior advantage of optimized and automated time and doseadministration synchronized with our circadian rhythms, our systemensures that tulobuterol or another asthma drug will circulate inincreased amounts in the bloodstream exactly when the patient needs it.For these reasons, our system is superior to current steady releasepatches. Our system's increased advantages are extremely relevant forthose patients with moderate to severe asthma.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 45.

Application—Hypertension

Example—Clonidine

Current clonidine patches release the drug consistently over time. Itcannot release more of the drug when symptoms are worst. People die mostwhen the symptoms peak. Having the advantage of administering more ofthe drug when a patient needs it the most can mean the differencebetween life and death, especially in patients with moderate to severehigh blood pressure.

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

The automated transdermal system for hypertension has two primaryadvantages over current patches. First, our system utilizes its corecompetitive advantage to automatically and precisely release clonidineor other hypertension drugs in peak amounts to offset the peak symptomsassociated with the dangerous morning symptoms. Current hypertensionpatches have release rates that stay constant and do not increase tooffset this peak critical phases, and do not decrease as symptomsdecrease. Second, our system accomplishes 1 and 2 above automatically,without the need for a patient to wake up to take a drug at thiscritical phase, which does away with the need for any increased patientcompliance. The clonidine automated transdermal system utilizesclonidine, (or another hypertension drug) an effective drug that combatshigh blood pressure.

Example

The clonidine automated transdermal drug delivery system has anautomated morning release of Clonidine to combat the peak symptom ofmorning heart attacks. Blood pressure differs at different times of theday. Blood pressure surges upon waking, and is lower by 20 to 30 percentwhile sleeping. Our preprogrammed automatic transdermal system utilizesits core competitive advantage by releasing clonidine in a tailoredfashion to counter high blood pressure when symptoms are highest, whilereleasing less clonidine when symptoms are less severe.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 46

Application—Depression

Example—Selegiline

Selegiline is an effective MAO inhibitor for the treatment ofdepression, Alzheimer's and Attention Deficit Disorder. Currently oralselegiline produces many undesirable side effects. A transdermal form ofselegiline, EMSAM™, is currently being developed. However, it alsoproduces sleep disturbances as well. It is believed that the system inaccordance with the present invention would be superior to conventionalselegiline product delivery systems.

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

Primary negative side effects of the selegiline patches are abnormaldreams, insomnia, and difficulty sleeping. We believe that byspecifically refraining from administering selegiline at night, andutilizing our system's core competitive advantage to turn it on an houror so before waking, we can do away with this negative side effect andstill offset the critical phase of morning symptoms of depression. Ithas been reported that patients have increased symptoms of depressionupon waking if the critical amount of Selegiline is not circulatingthrough their system.

The selegiline automated transdermal drug delivery system gives anautomated morning release of selegiline to combat the peak symptom ofmorning depression without the side effect of sleep disturbances. Thesystem in accordance with the present invention is applied before bed.It does not release the drug until one or two hours before morning, sosymptom of morning depression would be corrected by our system withoutsubjecting the patient to sleep disturbances.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 47.

Application—Urinary Incontinence

Example—Oxtybutynin

An automated, and programmed, pulsatile drug delivery regimen is desiredto in order to increase drug concentrations automatically at night whileasleep, and to decrease concentrations during the daytime work hours,and again to slightly increase drug concentrations after work and priorto bed.

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

The primary adverse side effect of Oxybutynin is daytime sleepiness,daytime attention and cognitive deficits, drowsiness, dizzyness, blurredvision, (must use caution when driving, operating machinery, orperforming other hazardous activities). Therefore, it seems that a dosein the lower end of the therapeutic range should be administered duringthe daytime, with a slightly larger dose administered after workinghours, and with an even higher dose administered during the sleepinghours.

This would reduce the potentially serious adverse side effect of daytimedrowsiness and daytime cognitive impairment. This dosing regimen wouldalso give the user a higher dose at night, when one sleeps. At thistime, increased drowsiness would be advantageous as well as providing aperiod of undisturbed sleep due to the inhibition of urge incontinence.

Medications for incontinence include:

Oxybutynin (Ditropan® and Oxytrol®)

Tolterodine (Detrol®)

Duloxetine (Yentreve®)

Example—Oxybutynin

The mean maximum blood plasma concentration following oral dosing with 5mg oxybutynin or transdermally with 39 mg is 3 ng/mL. Blood plasmaconcentration between 1 and 3 ng/ml

Theoretical unenhanced transdermal flux for oxybutynin (Berner-Cooperpredictive model) is 10.98 ug/cm2/hr.

NOTE: Dose of current Oxytrol patches are 3.9 mg per day.

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Peak 1 (Highest)

11:00 pm-7:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of2.5-4.5 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Low)

7:00 am to 5:00 pm: BPC should be in the lowest therapeutic range of0.75-1.5 ng/ml.

Peak 3 (Medium)

5:00 pm-11:00 pm: BPC should be in the medium therapeutic range of from1.5 to 2.5 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 48.

Application—Headache and Migraine

Example—Zolmitriptan

An automated, and programmed, pulsatile drug delivery regimen is desiredto in order to increase drug concentrations automatically in the eveningto provide needed medication, in the very early morning (0200-0400)while asleep, and again later on (0800-1000) upon waking. Then, duringthe daytime work hours, decrease concentrations to allow for normalactivities.

Chronotherapeutic Rationale:

Migraine, cluster and tension-type headaches may produce a headache thatawakens an individual in the early morning hours (usually between 2 and4 AM), or is present upon awakening. Those individuals with chronictension-type headache are most likely to be awakened in the earlymorning hours due to headache. This headache also tends to be at itsworst severity at that time of day. A variety of causes may account forthis early-morning pattern to the headaches.

Additionally, primary headaches associated with late sleeping orweekends are caused by caffeine withdrawal. Sleeping in late delaysmorning caffeine intake, which often leads to withdrawal and migraine.Many people reduce their caffeine intake on weekends, which readilyexplains the weekend increase in migraine attacks. Fewer migraines occuron Mondays and Tuesdays than on other days of the week.

Medications for headache and migraine include:

Abortive Medications

Analgesics with caffeine such as Excedrin® Migraine (acetaminophen,aspirin and caffeine).

Analgesics with caffeine and barbiturates such as Fiorinal® (butalbital,aspirin and caffeine) and Fioricet® (butalbital, acetaminophen andcaffeine).

Non steroidal antiinflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such as Advil®(ibuprofen), and Aleve® (naproxen sodium).

Ergotamines such as Cafergot® (caffeine and ergotamine tartrate) andMigranal® (dihydroergotamine).

Triptans such as Zomig® (zolmitriptan), Maxalt® (rizatriptan), Imitrex®(sumatriptan), Frova® (frovatriptan), Axert® (almotriptan) and Amerge®(naratriptan).

Excedrin Migraine is a registered trademark of Bristol-Myers SquibbCompany

Fiorinal and Fioricet are registered trademarks of NovartisPharmaceuticals Corporation

Advil is a registered trademark of Whitehall-Robbins Healthcare

Aleve is a registered trademark of Bayer Corporation

Cafergot and Migranal are registered trademarks of NovartisPharmaceuticals Corporation

Zomig is a registered trademark of AstraZeneca

Maxalt is a registered trademark of Merck & Co., Inc.

Imitrex is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline

Frova is a registered trademark of Elan Pharmaceuticals/UCB Pharma, Inc.

Axert is a registered trademark of Pharmacia

Amerge is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline

Preventive Medications

Beta blockers such as Inderal® (propranolol)*, Blocadren® (timololmaleate)*, and metoprolol.

Calcium-channel blockers such as Cardizem® (diltiazem) and Procardia®(nifedipine).

Antidepressants such as Prozac® (fluoxetine), Paxil® (paroxetine) andZoloft® (sertraline).

Anticonvulsants such as Depakote® (valproic acid or divalproex sodium).*

NSAIDs such as Orudis® (ketoprofen) and Aleve® (naproxen sodium).

Inderal is a registered trademark of AstraZeneca

Blocadren is a registered trademark of Merck & Co, Inc.

Cardizem is a registered trademark of Aventis Pharmaceuticals

Procardia is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc.

Prozac is a registered trademark of Eli Lilly and Company

Paxil is a registered trademark of GlaxoSmithKline

Zoloft is a registered trademark of Pfizer Inc.

Depakote is a registered trademark of Abbott Laboratories

Orudis is a registered trademark of Aventis Pharmaceuticals

Aleve is a registered trademark of Bayer Corporation

Example—Zolmitriptan

Blood plasma concentration between 1.0 and 5.0 ng/ml. Theoreticalunenhanced transdermal flux for zolmitriptan (Berner-Cooper predictivemodel) is 6.02 ug/cm2/hr. Thus, dosing could be optimized using theChronoDose™ system. For example, pulsatile delivery should have bloodplasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within the followingranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

2:00 am-4:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of3.5-4.0 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Highest)

8:00 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range of3.5-4.0 ng/ml.

Trough (Lowest)

12:00 pm to 12:00 am: BPC should be in the lowest therapeutic range of1.0-3.0 ng/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 49.

Applications—Diabetes

Example—Miglitol

An automated, and programmed, pulsatile drug delivery regimen is desiredto in order to increase drug concentrations automatically in the morning(0800), midday (1200) and evening (1800) which coincide with mealtimes.

Miglitol is indicated as an adjunct to diet to improve glycemic controlin patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) whosehyperglycemia cannot be managed with diet alone.

Theoretical unenhanced transdermal flux for miglitol (Berner-Cooperpredictive model) is 49.24 ug/cm2/hr.

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth below within the following ranges at the followingtimes:

Peak 1 (Highest)

8:00 am-10:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Peak 2 (Highest)

12:00 am-2:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Trough (Highest)

6:00 pm to 8:00 am: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 50.

Application—Pain Management

Example—Fentanyl

Many diseases and pain-causing situations (post-surgery, post trauma)have predictable pain patterns. For example, cortisol is virtuallyabsent in the body overnight, and this is what fights inflammation.Thus, any pain resulting from inflammation (rheumatoid arthritis,post-surgical pain, post-traumatic pain, back pain, neurological pain)is most common in the early morning hours between 3:00 a.m. and 8:00a.m. Migraine pain is worst around 6:00 a.m. Ankylosing spondylitis painsurges between 6:00 a.m. and 9:00 a.m. Osteoarthritis pain surges inmid-afternoon.

Pain varies tremendously from one patient to the next, and there arealso some studies suggesting that the intensity of pain varies accordingto time of day. In human studies, pain induced experimentally wasreported to be maximal in the morning, or in the afternoon or at night.A circadian pattern of pain has been seen in patients suffering frompain produced by different diseases. For instance, highest toothacheintensity occurred in the morning, while biliary colic, migraine, andintractable pain were highest at night. Patients with rheumatoidarthritis reported peak pain early in the morning, while those withosteoarthritis of the knee indicated that the maximal pain occurred atthe end of the day. The effectiveness of opioids appears also to varyaccording to time of day, but large differences in the time of peak andlow effects were found. Peak pain intensity and narcotic demands occurearly in the morning, or it can be at the end of the day. Pain is acomplex phenomenon and specific to each clinical situation.

An automated, and programmed, pulsatile transdermal drug deliveryregimen is needed to substantially increase blood plasma concentrationsof Fentanyl or other pain medications, automatically between 3:00 am and8:00 am, while people sleep, where pain results from inflammation,because cortisone, a key inflammation fighter, is lowest in the body atthat time. Additionally, an automated, and programmed, pulsatiletransdermal drug delivery regimen is needed to substantially increaseblood plasma concentrations of Fentanyl or other pain medicationsautomatically between 6:00 am and 9:00 am for Ankylosing spondylitispain, and in mid-afternoon for Osteoarthritis pain.

Other pain medication includes: codeine, dihydrocodeine, hydrocodone orhydromorphone, Sufentanil, Nalbuphine, Buprenorphine, Hydromorphone andany type of opiate derivative.

These are exemplary choices for transdermal pain management since theyare effective, there is considerable hepatic first pass effect and ashort half life, and they are skin permeable.

For example, for pain that increases with inflammation, as in thesituations noted above, our regimen would suggest automated andprogrammed, transdermal pulsatile delivery of fentanyl to reach bloodplasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within the followingranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

3:00 am-8:00 am: BPC of fentanyl should be in the highest therapeuticrange of 2-8 ng/ml.

Peak 2 (Lowest)

8:00 am-5:00 pm: BPC should be in the lowest therapeutic range of 1-3ng/m.

Peak 3 (Middle)

5:00 pm to 3:00 am: BPC should be in the a moderate therapeutic range of2-5 g/ml.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 51.

Application—Cancer

Cancer chronotherapy is attracting attention as a novel and logicaltherapy in which anti-cancer drugs are administered with optimal timingaccording to circadian rhythms of anti-cancer action and those ofadverse effects on normal cells. Advances in chronobiology haveidentified the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) as the center of biologicalrhythms and the area in which clock genes such as PER1, PER2, PER3,CLOCK, BMAL1, TIM, CRY1, CRY2, tau act to generate and coordinatebiological rhythms. These findings have led to the development ofchronotherapy. Clinically, patients with advanced gastrointestinalcancer have been treated by chrono-modulated chemotherapy with goodresponse. For colorectal cancer patients with unresectable livermetastases, chronotherapy with g-OHP+5-FU+FA (folinic acid) has beenreported to allow complete surgical resection of liver metastases,resulting in 39-50% 5-year survival.

The circadian timing of surgery, anticancer drugs, radiation therapy,and biologic agents can result in improved toxicity profiles, tumorcontrol, and host survival. Optimally timed cancer chemotherapy withdoxorubicin or pirarubicin (06:00 h) and cisplatin (18:00 h) enhancedthe control of advanced ovarian cancer while minimizing side effects,and increased the response rate in metastatic endometrial cancer.Therapy of metastatic bladder cancer with doxorubicin-cisplatin was mademore tolerable by this same circadian approach resulting in a 57%objective response rate. This optimally timed therapy is also effectivein the adjuvant setting, decreasing the expected frequency of metastasisfrom locally advanced bladder cancer. Circadian fluorodeoxyuridine(FUDR) continuous infusion (70% of the daily dose given between 15:00 hand 21:00 h) has been shown effective for metastatic renal cellcarcinoma resulting in 29% objective response and stable disease of morethan 1 yr duration in the majority of patients. Toxicity is reducedmarkedly when FUDR infusion is modulated to circadian rhythms

Chronotherapy has also been used to lower the amount of side effectsfrom chemotherapy drugs. Over the years, doctors have realized that bygiving two of these drugs, Adriamycin and cisplatin, in the morning andevening, respectively, side effects could be cut in half

Thus, dosing could be optimized using the ChronoDose™ system. Forexample, pulsatile delivery should have blood plasma concentrations(BPC) as set forth for each specific medication.

The time/dose charts should appear as shown in FIGS. 52 a, b and c.

Applications—Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS/HIV)

Examples—Zidovudine, Didanosine

Currently available antiretroviral drug regimens are able to suppressHIV replication and allow CD4 recovery in the vast majority of patientswith HIV infection. The challenge is to match each patient to theregimen that is most likely to durably suppress HIV replication enoughto prevent resistance selection without causing treatment-limitingtoxicities. It is also critical, but difficult, to know when to begintreatment relative to CD4 cell count and plasma viral load.

Adherence to antiretroviral therapy for the treatment of HIV infectionand AIDS has become one of the most important clinical challenges amongHIV health care providers and patients. Adherence to the prescribedregimen may predict which patients achieve undetectable viral loads.Unfortunately, non-adherence is common in antiretroviral therapy and hasbeen associated with increases in viral load and the development of drugresistance. Efforts to maximize patient adherence are critical forsuppressing HIV replication and preventing the transmission ofdrug-resistant virus.

Automated and programmed, transdermal pulsatile delivery of zidovudineto reach blood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within thefollowing ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

5:00 am-9:00 am: BPC of zidovudine should be in the highest therapeuticrange.

Peak 2 (Highest)

7:00 pm to 11:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

Theoretical unenhanced transdermal flux for zidovudine (Berner-Cooperpredictive model) is 17.94 ug/cm2/hr.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 53.

Application—Epilepsy

Example—Gabapentan

In the majority of persons with the brain disorder epilepsy, seizuresrecur at predictable times of day. About half of those with epilepsyexperience seizures mainly in waking hours. About one-quarter have themmainly in sleep. In the others, timing is less consistent; theirseizures strike both day and night.

More than twenty anti-seizure medications (also called anticonvulsant oranti-epilepsy drugs) currently are available in the United States. Someare specifically designed not to interfere with the activity of otherdrugs, including birth control pills. They include gabapentin(Neurontin), lamotrigine (Lamictal), topiramate (Topamax), tiagabine(Gabatril), levetiracetam (Keppra), and oxcarbazepine (Trileptal).

None of the newer medications and only two of the older ones, valproateand phenyloin, have been studied with regard to how they work when takenat different times of the day or in different phases of the menstrualcycle. Whether the findings in valproate and phenyloin can begeneralized to other anti-epilepsy drugs is not known; the results doraise issues, however, that urgently need further study. Studies ofvalproate show that people absorb it more slowly and less efficientlywhen they take it in the evening than in the morning. This finding is ofconcern because protection against seizures usually is needed most inNREM sleep, the state that dominates the first half of a night's sleep.

Automated and programmed, transdermal pulsatile delivery of gabapentanto reach blood plasma concentrations (BPC) as set forth below within thefollowing ranges at the following times:

Peak 1 (Highest)

5:00 am-9:00 am: BPC of gabapentan should be in the highest therapeuticrange.

Peak 2 (Highest)

7:00 pm to 11:00 pm: BPC should be in the highest therapeutic range.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 54.

Applications—Cold and Flu Treatment

Example—Triprolidine

Cold and flu symptoms are worst from midnight until the early morningbecause the concentration of cortisol is lowest at that time. Currentnighttime cold and flu medication end up losing efficacy by earlymorning when cold and flu symptoms are highest. Therefore peoplesuffering from a cold or flu are often unpleasantly awoken by anincrease in symptoms, cutting sleep short. Set and put on beforebedtime, the present invention will automatically deliver a larger doseof medication and immuno-boosters in the early morning hours to moreeffectively combat the peak cold and flu symptoms that occur in themorning.

This implementation uses prescription or OTC cold medicine alone oroptionally in combination with certain transdermally efficaciousvitamins and immune system boosters to provide a total solution to coldand flu ailments. This is the first cold therapy that combines OTCmedicine with supplemental immuno-boosters in a comprehensive andautomated manner

In a particular application, the Cold and Flu automated transdermal drugdelivery system utilizes OTC cold medicine, Vitamin C, Echinacea, andZinc to provide a total solution to cold and flu ailments, and all whilea person sleeps. The Cold/Flu system releases these combination ofcompounds every 2 hours throughout the night, with a higher dosage ofcompounds being released in the morning to combat these proven middle ofthe night and early morning symptoms, which are the worst of the day.Users will experience less severe cold and flu symptoms during themorning hours, will not have their sleep cycle cut short, and will wakeup feeling symptom-free.

The time/dose chart should appear as shown in FIG. 55.

In General

Accordingly, a preferred method of the present invention for deliveringan active agent such as a nutraceutical to a human or animal includesthe steps of providing a transdermal drug delivery device coupled to thehuman or animal, the delivery device having a source of the bioactiveagent, a programmable microprocessor timing mechanism, and a mechanismfor causing the bioactive agent to be delivered transdermally inresponse to the timing mechanism; and timing routines implemented by thetiming mechanism, wherein the timing routines are selected to deliverthe bioactive agent at a time, rate, sequence and/or cycle that issynchronized with a biological rhythm of the human or animal.

The method contemplates the administration of differing sized dosages atdifferent times of the day and/or night are automatically dispensed,pursuant to a pre-programmed dosage profile.

The active agent may be selected from the group consisting of but notlimited to: adrenergic stimulants such as: adrenaline, ephedrine andephedrine derivatives, and dopamine; methylxanthines such as: caffeine,theobromine, theophyline and their derivatives; ampakines such as:CX-516 (Ampalex), CX546, CX614 and CX717; other stimulants, anorexigensand anorectics such as cocaine, etc.; pharmaceuticals such ascannabinoid type 1 (CB 1) receptor antagonists (rimonabant, Acomplia™)humoral feedback signals leptin, ghrelin, nesfatin-1, or their re-uptakeinhibitors, agonists or antagonists, appetite-regulating hormones suchas peptide YY 3-36 and the like; Nutritional agents, such as: Mineralsand Metals: i.e. boron, calcium, magnesium, chromium, selenium, zinc,etc.; Vitamins: Vitamin A (Retinoids (include: retinol, retinal,retinoic acid, 3-dehydroretinol and its derivatives); Vitamin B1(Thiamine); Vitamin B2 (Riboflavin); Vitamin B3 (Niacin); Vitamin B5(Pantothenic acid); Vitamin B6 (Pyridoxine); Vitamin B7 (Biotin);Vitamin B9 (Folic acid); Vitamin B12 (Cyanocobalamin); Vitamin C(Ascorbic acid); Vitamin D2-D4 (Lumisterol, Ergocalciferol,Cholecalciferol, Dihydrotachysterol, 7-Dehydrocholesterol); Vitamin E(Tocopherol, Tocotrienol) and Vitamin K (Naphthoquinone); Amino Acids:Isoleucine, Alanine, Leucine, Asparagine, Lysine, Aspartate, Methionine,Cysteine, Phenylalanine, Glutamate, Threonine, Glutamine, Tryptophan,Glycine, Valine, Proline, Arginine, Serine, Histidine and Tyrosine; twospecial amino acids, selenocysteine and pyrrolysine and other“nonstandard amino acids” including the sulfur-containing taurine andn-acetylcysteine and the neurotransmitters GABA and dopamine; otherexamples such as Carnosine (beta-alanyl-L-histidine), lanthionine,2-Aminoisobutyric acid, and dehydroalanine, ornithine and citrulline;Coenzymes: Coenzyme A, Coenzyme B12, Coenzyme Q, NAD, FAD, ATP,molybdopterin, etc.; Antioxidants such as Glutathione, Lutein,alpha-lipoic acid, polyphenols-including Pycnogenol (pine barkantioxidant), Grape seed extract, superoxide dismutase (SOD, EC1.15.1.1), epicathechin, proanthocyanidins, sulfoxides, etc.;Botanicals, phytochemicals, phytonutrients, plant extracts, herbs,naturopathic, homeopathic drugs and substances, nutraceticals,cosmeceuticals, Ayuervedic xtracts, tissue extractions, antioxidantsinclude but are not limited to: Guarana and Brown Seaweed, or FucusVesiculosis, 5 HTP, yerba mate, flaxseed oil, L-caritine, Synephrine(oxedrine; Sympatol), Coleus forskohlii (forskohlin), diiodotyrosine,chromium poly-nicotinate, garlic extract, yeast extract, fatty acids,omega-3 fish oil, kava and kavalactones, Aniracetam, Bromocriptine,Carnosine, Centrophenoxine, Deprenyl, Gerovital-H3, Hydergine,Idebenone, Melatonin, Piracetam, Pramiracetam, Pyritinol, Resveratrol,Vinpocetine and Vitamin C, thymus, yohimbine, Morinda citrifolia (Noni,containing Proxeronine, Proxeronase, Xeronine, Damnacanthal andScopoletin), etc.; Steroids and steroid precursors: Anabolic steroids;Corticosteroids, including glucocorticoid and mineralocorticoids;Mineralocorticoids; Sex steroids including androgens, estrogens, andprogestagens; Phytosterols; Ergosterols; Vitamin D supplements;progestational agents, hydrocortisone, hydrocorticosterone acetate,cortisone acetate, dexamethasone and its derivatives such asbetamethasone, triamcinolone, methyltestosterone, 17-.beta.-estradiol,ethinyl estradiol, ethinyl estradiol 3-methyl ether, prednisolone,17-.beta.-hydroxyprogesterone acetate, 19-nor-progesterone, norgestrel,norethindrone, norethisterone, norethiederone, progesterone,norgesterone, norethynodrel, dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) and the like;Nutritional Supplements such as Resveratrol, Dimethlyglycine (DMG), 5Hydroxy L-tryptophan (5-HTP), Inositol hexaphosphate (IP6),S-adenosylmethionine (SAMe), Glucosamine sulfate or N.Acetylglucosamine, Choline, inositol and melatonin, creatine, pyruvate,beta-hydroxy beta-methylbutyrate (HMB), ginseng, etc.; Natural Hormones(bio-identicals) such as black cohosh (Cimicifuga racemosa) root andrhizome extract, extracts from soy beans or the wild Mexican yam, etc.;Ayuervedic herb extracts: Adhatoda; A. vasica, Arjun; Teminalia arjuna,Asafoetida; Ferula asafetida, Ashwaganda; Withania sominifera,Asparagus; A. racemosa, Bacopa; B. monerii, Crataeva; C. nurvala,Emblica; E. ribes, Momordica; M. charantia, Myrrh; Commiphora mukul andC. myrrha, Saraca; S. asoka, Tinospora; T. cordifolia; Physiologicalmetabolites, catabolites or other physiological active ingredient orprecursors of all of the above or derivatives of all of the abovethereof, as well as all other nutraceuticals, cosmeceuticals,naturopathic substances, homeopathic drugs, Ayuervedic extracts,botanical and dietary supplements having same or different physiologicalactivity as those cited above.

The method of the present invention contemplates that the timingroutines may be selected to deliver the said active agent at times thatare automatically administered during a 1-2 hour pre-wake-up period andtwo or three times periodically throughout the day

At least one of the selected times corresponds to a time at which thehuman or animal regularly exercises or has a routine physical activity.The selected times may correspond to mealtimes or regular food intake.

The method contemplates timing routines are selected to deliver the drugat a time when the human or animal is expected to be asleep.Alternatively, the timing routines may decrease or terminate the dosageof drug delivered at a time when the human or animal is expected to beasleep, or may deliver the bioactive agent immediately before the humanor animal wakes up.

Accordingly, a method of the present invention for delivering a drug toa human or animal comprises a programmable drug delivery device coupledto the human or animal comprising: a method for device attachment to theskin of a host; an interface for coupling to the skin of a host; areservoir storing a quantity of an active composition; a deliverymechanism for modulating the quantity of the active composition suppliedfrom the reservoir to the interface in response to a control signal; atiming mechanism coupled to the delivery mechanism and configured togenerate the control signal according to a programmed administrationschedule; a microprocessor controller and a power source.

The device of the present invention may utilize a pump or pressurizedreservoir for modulating the quantity of the active composition and/or asystem for removing depleted carrier solution, or other modulateddispensing actuators, such as piezoelectric droplet jet dispensers andthermal droplet jet dispensers.

The device may also utilize a pump or pressurized reservoir formodulating the quantity of the active composition and/or a system forremoving depleted carrier solution, or other modulated dispensingactuators, such as piezoelectric droplet jet dispensers and thermaldroplet jet dispensers in conjunction with porous membranes ormicro-fabricated structures commonly referred to as micro-channels, withmicro-needles, light, heat, iontophoresis, sonophoresis and dermalabrasion (together referred to as mechanical permeation enhancement) ora wide range of chemical permeation enhancers and/or a wide range ofnano-structures and substances known as nanotechnology or anycombination of these techniques.

Permeation through the skin may be assisted using one or more skinpermeation technologies from the group comprising: micro-fabricatedstructures commonly referred to as micro-needles, sonophoresis, dermalabrasion, electroporation, nanoporation, piezoelectric droplet jetdispenser, thermal droplet jet dispenser, heat, light and chemicalpermeation enhancers and/or a wide range of nano-structures andsubstances known as nanotechnology or any combination of thesetechniques.

Permeation through the skin may be assisted using one or more skinpermeation technologies and/or in tandem with skin permeationpre-treatment techniques from the group comprising: micro-fabricatedstructures commonly referred to as micro-needles, iontophoresis,sonophoresis, dermal abrasion, electroporation, nanoporation,piezoelectric droplet jet dispenser, thermal droplet jet dispenser,heat, light and chemical permeation enhancers and/or a wide range ofnano-structures and substances known as nanotechnology or anycombination of these techniques.

It is further contemplated that the micro-pump mechanism controls a rateat which the active composition is supplied in response to the controlsignal.

The valve mechanism may also be used to control a rate at which theactive composition is supplied in response to the control signal.

The device of the present invention may also use a droplet jet dispensercontrols a rate at which the active composition is supplied in responseto the control signal.

A mechanism for removing the active composition from the interface inresponse to the control signal is also contemplated.

It is also contemplated that the delivery element further comprises anevaporation channel defining a flow path for evaporated portions of thesolvent to flow away from the administration reservoir to be captured bythe solvent removal element.

The device of the present invention may also include a mechanism forremoving carrier materials from the interface, whereby the techniqueused is not limited by but includes stoppage of permeation or dosing bymicropump or actuator (which may move gas or air) or a second micropumpor actuator (which may move gas or air) and/or a heating element whichmay aid in evaporation of the carrier solvent.

The device of the present invention may employ a heat element may beprovided in the administration assembly near the administrationreservoir to raise the temperature 3 to 10 degrees Celsius over a dermaltemperature to enhance transdermal permeation and/or diffusion and/ormovement of the drug formulation through the substrate.

An administration assembly is also contemplated which includes anadministration reservoir connected to the tubing to receive the drugformulation and a membrane adjacent to the administration reservoir thatis permeable to an active or effective substance in the drugformulation, but not or less permeable to a solvent portion of theliquid.

The device of the present invention may also employ an absorbentmaterial provided in the administration reservoir so as to distributethe received liquid in a relatively uniform manner over the surface ofthe membrane.

The administration reservoir may be or include a rigid or flexible,permanent or disposable substrate with a plurality of ducts, conduits orculverts that contain internal passageways for movement of the drugformulation and have either a series of openings or a single openingmounted on the membrane or skin or otherwise adjacent to the membrane orskin to allow the drug formulation to be absorbed or otherwisetransferred or to move from the substrate ducts to the membrane or skinfor transdermal absorption.

The device of the present invention may include a skin-interfacemembrane. A preferred skin-interface membrane may include, but is notlimited to silicones and siloxanes, microporous polyethylene and/ormicroporous polypropylene, polyethylene co-vinyl acetate (EVA copolymer)ranging from 2% to 40% vinyl acetate content, polyurethane and the like.

The device may be attached to the skin with an adhesive, which may befrom the group consisting of but not limited to silicones and siloxanes,polyisobutylene (PIB), acrylic adhesives and other pressure sensitiveadhesives (PSAs), as well as ethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,poly(ethylene co-vinyl acetate) (EVA), polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP),poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly(ethylene vinyl alcohol) (PVA),poly(acrylic acid) (PAA) and the like, which may be in a dry or wetform, crosslinked or not crosslinked, or any mixture to provide thecomposition in gel or hydrogel form or adhesive state.

The method may include a skin-coupling medium selected from the groupconsisting of glycerol, ethylcellulose, hydroxypropyl cellulose,polycarbophil, poly(ethylene co-vinyl acetate) (EVA), polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP), poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO), poly (ethylene vinylalcohol) (PVA), poly(acrylic acid) (PAA), silicones and siloxanes,polyisobutylene (PIB) and the like, which may be in a dry or wet form,crosslinked or not crosslinked, or any mixture to provide thecomposition in gel or hydrogel form or adhesive state.

The techniques of the present invention may also employ a membrane that,when a programmable electronic current is added, becomes porous to allowdrug to flow or diffuse onto the skin or diffusion area from theadministration reservoir or other adjacent area containing medicament.Optionally, a pump or other actuator is used to place the drug onto themembrane. The actuator may itself be the application of the electroniccurrent to the membrane to allow the medicament to move into thediffusion area. Note that this technique is distinct from iontophoresiswhich applies the electronic current to the skin itself to make the skinmore porous. Rather, the contemplated embodiment will not place anelectric current into the skin, but utilizes passive diffusion. Theelectric current is applied to the membrane that is part of thediffusion area or is in intimate contact with the skin or other membraneor above the skin to open and become porous to allow drug to diffusepassively (when the electric current is applied) and close when theelectronic current is removed (to close the membrane, and become noporous) so as to stop drug delivery. Also optional are a disposablecassette, a desiccant and a drying mechanism.

The coupling medium may include at least one polymer selected frompoly(ethylene oxide), polycarbophil, poly(amidoamines),poly(dimethylsiloxanes), poly(hydroxyethyl methacrylates),poly(N-isopropyl acrylamides),poly[1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidinone-co-(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate)],poly(acrylamides), poly(glutamic acid), poly(aspartic acid),poly(acrylic acids), poly(methacrylic acids), poly(ethylene glycols),poly(ethylene glycol monomethacrylate), poly(methacryloyloxyethyl5-amino salicylate), poly(methacrylic acid)-co-poly(ethylene glycol),poly(vinyl alcohols), and poly(vinyl-pyrrolidones), poly[methacrylicacid-co-polyethylene glycol monomethacrylate-co-methacryloyloxyethyl5-amino salicylate], poly(-hydroxyethyl methacrylate-co-methylmethacrylate), poly(acrylamides), poly(aminoproly methacrylamides),poly(N-(3-aminopropyl)methacrylamide), andpoly(N,N-dimethyl-2-aminoethyl methacrylate), or copolymers, blockcopolymers, graft copolymers, and heteropolymers thereof, orcombinations thereof which may be in a dry or wet form, crosslinked ornot crosslinked, or any mixture to provide the composition in gel orhydrogel form or adhesive state.

The active agent may be premixed in the drug formulation and containedin a single reservoir. Alternatively, the active agent and the vehicleare held separate and contained in separate reservoirs and are mixed orreacted in a micromixer, microreactor or other microfluidic deviceimmediately prior to dosing.

Drug formulations may include a solvent, an emulsifier, a surfactantand/or a humectant, from the group consisting of water, ethanol, lacticacid, urea, alcohols, polyalcohols, ethyl acetate, acetone, glycerol,glycerols, polyglycerols, glycols, polyglycols, ethylene glycol,polyethylene glycol (PEG) and polyethylene oxide (PEO) and otherpolyethers, polysorbates, polycarbophil, dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO),formamide and the like, anionic, cationic and non-ionic surfactants, andmixtures thereof

The active agent may be contained in a formulation comprising anemulsion or microemulsion or an acceptable vehicle, which takes the formof a colloidal dispersion having an aqueous phase and a lipid phase.

The present methodology may employ internally or externally a wide rangeof chemical permeation enhancers. Such enhancers include but are notlimited to glycerol, ethanol, isopropanol and other low molecular weightalcohols and glycols such as diethylene glycol, propylene glycol orpolyethylene glycol, oils such as olive oil, squalene or lanolin, ureaand urea derivatives such as allantoin, polar solvents such asdimethyldecylphosphoxide, methyloctylsulfoxide, dimethyllaurylamide,dodecylpyrrolidone, isosorbitol, dimethyl-acetonide, dimethylsulfoxide,decylmethylsulfoxide and dimethylformamide, salicylic acid, amino acids,benzyl nicotinate, oleic acid, oleyl alcohol, long chain fatty acids,isopropanol, ethoxydiglycol, sodium xylene sulfonate,N-methylpyrrolidone, laurocapram, alkanecarboxylic acids,dimethylsulfoxide, polar lipids, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, propyl andisopropyl myristate, propyl and isopropyl palmitate and the like,cationic, anionic and non-ionic surfactants and higher molecular weightaliphatic surfactants such as lauryl sulfate, polysorbates, other agentsinclude carvone and other azones, lactic acid, linoleic and ascorbicacids, terpenes such as limonene, panthenol, butylated hydroxytoluene,propyl oleate as well as piperine and piperine derivatives,tetrahydropiperine and analogs and derivatives thereof, includingdihydropiperine.

The present invention may also employ internally or externally a widerange of anti-irritants. Such anti-irritants include but are not limitedto steroids, antioxidants, methylxanthines, catechins, phenols andpolyphenols.

The present invention is particularly useful in applications in which itis necessary and/or desirable to start the administration of anutraceutical, drug or other substance, stop the administration of anutraceutical, drug or other substance, and/or increase/decrease thedosage of a nutraceutical, drug or other substance at a time when it isinconvenient or impossible for a patient to initiate the necessaryactions. This is particularly useful for a wide variety ofnutraceutical, drug or other substance administration applications thatbenefit when an administration is started, stopped, or changed while aperson is sleeping. As research and knowledge of chronotherapyincreases, it is contemplated that a wide variety of applications willbe discovered in which benefit is realized by starting, stopping and/orchanging the administration while a patient sleeps).

This invention also particularly provides that drugs having stimulatingeffects but or can speed up the metabolism or burn fat or increasemitochondrial activity or benefit the body in another manner the ADD orADHD treatment drug is not delivered during the sleep cycle, but theautomated device of which this invention relates turns on automaticallyprior to wake up so that therapeutically effective blood plasmaconcentrations of the drug ADD or ADHD treating compound in question arepresent immediately upon waking, thereby avoiding the stimulationeffects of the drug during the night which can cause insomnia, butensuring disease symptoms are countered by the drug upon waking. Thisinvention also particularly provides that drugs having stimulatingeffects or can speed up the metabolism or burn fat or increasemitochondrial activity or benefit the body in another manner is notdelivered during the sleep cycle, but the automated device of which thisinvention relates turns on automatically at opportune and advantageoustimes throughout the day to assist anti-aging effects.

In each of the examples, treatment is continued as needed to providesuperior symptomatic relief, prevent exacerbation of symptoms, and/orprevent and/or delay progression of the disease state or condition inthe patient, or until it is no longer well tolerated by the patient, oruntil a physician terminates treatment. For example, a physician maymonitor one or more symptoms and/or serum levels of active materialand/or metabolic by-product(s) in a patient being treated according tothis invention and, upon observing attenuation of one or more symptomsfor a period of time, conclude that the patient can sustain the positiveeffects of the above-described treatment without further administrationfor a period of time. When necessary, the patient may then return at alater point in time for additional treatment as needed.

As used herein, ‘day’ means a 24-hour period. Thus, for example, ‘for atleast three consecutive days’ means for at least a 72-hour period.During or after the treatment, a physician may monitor one or moresymptoms and/or serum levels in the patient and, upon observing animprovement in one or more of the parameters for a period of time,conclude that the patient can sustain the positive effects of thetreatment without further administration of the active material for aperiod of time.

In order to use an active material for therapeutic treatment (includingprophylactic treatment) of mammals including humans according to themethods of this invention, the active material is normally formulated inaccordance with standard pharmaceutical practice as a pharmaceuticalcomposition. According to this aspect of the invention there is provideda pharmaceutical composition comprising an active material inassociation with a pharmaceutically acceptable diluting substance orcarrier, wherein the active material is present in an amount foreffective treating or preventing a particular condition.

While individual needs may vary, determination of optimal ranges foreffective amounts of an active ingredient (alone or in combination withother nutraceuticals, drugs or substances) within the ranges disclosedherein is within the expertise of those skilled in the art. Accordingly,‘effective amounts’ of each component for purposes herein are determinedby such considerations and are amounts that improve one or more activeingredient functions and/or ameliorate on or more deleterious conditionsin patients and/or improve the quality of life in patients.

Pharmaceutical Kits

The present invention also provides pharmaceutical kits for treating aparticular symptom, condition and/or disease and/or improving aparticular biological function, comprising one or more containerscomprising one or more active compositions in accordance with thisinvention. Such kits can also include additional nutraceuticals drugs ortherapeutics for co-use with the active composition for treatment orprevention of a particular symptom, condition and/or disease and/orimproving a particular biological function. In this embodiment, theactive composition and the nutraceutical, drug or other substance can beformulated in admixture in one container, or can be contained inseparate containers for simultaneous or separate administration. The kitcan further comprise a device(s) for administering the compounds and/orcompositions, such as device shown in FIG. 1, and written instructionsin a form prescribed by a governmental agency regulating themanufacture, use or sale of pharmaceuticals or biological products,which instructions can also reflect approval by the agency ofmanufacture, use or sale for human administration.

Although the invention has been described and illustrated with a certaindegree of particularity, it is understood that the present disclosurehas been made only by way of example, and that numerous changes in thedosages, administration profiles, timing, as well as the combination andarrangement of parts can be resorted to by those skilled in the artwithout departing from the spirit and scope of the invention, ashereinafter claimed.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method for treating a human with Parkinson'sdisease comprising: delivering an active pharmaceutical ingredient (API)for treating Parkinson's disease, symptoms associated with Parkinson'sdisease, or symptoms associated with treatments for Parkinson's diseasedissolved in a solvent to a skin-interface membrane of a transdermaldrug delivery device coupled to a skin of the human; absorbing theactive pharmaceutical ingredient from the skin-interface membranetransdermally into the human; and moving solvent from the skin-interfacemembrane into a solvent removal element of the transdermal drug deliverydevice.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the API comprises one or moreof the following: dopamine precursors including (Dopar®) and(Larodopa®), dopa decarboxylase inhibitors including Carbidopa andBenserazide, Levodopa/carbidopa mixtures including (Sinemet®),Levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone mixtures including (Stalevo®),Levodopa/benserazide mixtures including (Madopar®) and (Prolopat),dopamine agonists including bromocriptine (Parlodel®), pergolide(Permax®), pramipexole (Mirapex®), rotigotine (Neupro®),dihydroergocryptine, ropinirole (Requip®), cabergoline (Cabaser®),apomorphine (Apokyn), lisuride (Revanil®) and piribedil,anticholinergics including biperiden (Akineton®), diphenhydramine(Benadryl®), trihexyphenidyl (Artane®), benztropine mesylate(Cogentin®), procyclidine (Kemadrin®), MAO-B inhibitors includingselegiline or deprenyl (Eldepryl®, Emsam® TTS), (Carbex®) and rasagiline(Azilect®), COMT inhibitors including entacapone (Comtan®) and tolcapone(Tasmar®), dopaminergic agonists including Amantadine (Symmetrel®),Ampakines including CX-516 (Ampalex), CX546, CX614 and CX717,Istradefylline (KW-6002),S-(−)-2-(N-propyl-N-2-thienylethylamino)-5-hydroxytetralin (N-0923),Sarizotan, bornaprine, budipine, ethopropazine, lazabemide, memantine,modafinil, talampanel, altinicline, brasofensine, safinamide, droxidopa,quinagolide, terguride, riluzole, talipexole, piroheptine, bifeprunox,spheramine, nicotine, sumanirole, lisuride hydrogen maleateor, andorphenadrine.
 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the API compriseslevodopa.
 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the API includes aLevodopa/carbidopa mixture, Levodopa/carbidopa/entacapone mixture, orLevodopa/benserazide mixture.
 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the APIcomprises nicotine.
 6. The method of claim 1, wherein the API comprisesone or more of the following: Carbidopa, bromocriptine (Parlodel®),pergolide (Permax®), pramipexole (Mirapex®), rotigotine (Neupro®),ropinirole (Requip®), cabergoline (Cabaser®), apomorphine (Apokyn),lisuride (Revanil®), piribedil, selegiline, Amantadine (Symmetrel®),memantine, and safinamide.
 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the solventremoval element comprises a desiccant, absorbent material, orhydrophilic material.
 8. The method of claim 1, wherein delivering theAPI dissolved in the solvent to the skin-interface membrane of thetransdermal drug delivery device coupled to the human includesdelivering the API at a time, rate, sequence and/or cycle that issynchronized with a biological rhythm of the human.
 9. The method ofclaim 1, wherein delivering the API dissolved in the solvent to theskin-interface membrane of the transdermal drug delivery device coupledto the human includes delivering the API at a time, rate, sequenceand/or cycle that is selected to reduce dyskinesia in the human.
 10. Themethod of claim 1, further comprising: repeating the delivering,absorbing and moving steps to modulate and control dosing to create aconsistently therapeutically effective blood plasma concentration of theactive pharmaceutical ingredient in the human.
 11. The method of claim1, further comprising: repeating the delivering, absorbing and movingsteps to modulate and control dosing to create a plurality of activepharmaceutical ingredient blood plasma concentration peaks and troughsin the human.
 12. The method of claim 11, wherein the API is levodopaand/or nicotine.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the API includeslevodopa and the peaks and troughs of the blood plasma concentration oflevodopa are between about 1.4 to about 2.0 μg/ml.
 14. The method ofclaim 1, wherein the API is for a purpose of treating dyskinesia. 15.The method of claim 1, further comprising: removing the transdermal drugdelivery device after contacting the skin for greater than 24 hours. 16.The method of claim 1, wherein delivering the API dissolved in thesolvent to the skin-interface membrane of the transdermal drug deliverydevice coupled to the skin of the human is performed immediately beforethe human wakes up.
 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the transdermaldrug delivery device includes a reservoir with the API dissolved in thesolvent and further comprising: moving a portion of the API dissolved inthe solvent from the reservoir to the skin-interface membrane.
 18. Themethod of claim 1, wherein delivering the API dissolved in the solventto the skin-interface membrane of the transdermal drug delivery devicecoupled to the skin of the human begins during a one hour periodimmediately prior to the human's waking to transdermally administer theAPI to the human.
 19. The method of claim 1, wherein the delivery stepcomprises delivering a first dosage of API to the human to raise thehuman's blood plasma concentration of API from a first level to a secondlevel higher than the first level.
 20. The method of claim 19 whereinthe first dosage is delivered while the human is asleep.
 21. The methodof claim 19, wherein delivering the first dosage of API to the human isat a time around 7:30 a.m. to 10:00 a.m.
 22. The method of claim 19,wherein delivering the first dosage of API to the human is at a timearound 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.
 23. The method of claim 19, wherein thedelivery step further comprises reducing or stopping delivery of API tothe human to reduce the human's blood plasma concentration of API fromthe second level to a third level lower than the second level, thendelivering a second dosage of API to the human to increase the human'sblood plasma concentration of API from the third level to a fourth levelhigher than the third level.
 24. The method of claim 23, wherein thesecond dosage of API to the human is at a time around 1:00 p.m. to about3:00 p.m.
 25. The method of claim 23, wherein the second dosage of APIto the human is at a time around 3:00 p.m. to about 5:00 p.m.
 26. Themethod of claim 23, wherein the delivery step further comprises reducingor stopping delivery of API to the human to reduce the human's bloodplasma concentration of API from the fourth level to a fifth level lowerthan the fourth level, then delivering a third dosage of API to thehuman to increase the human's blood plasma concentration of API from thefifth level to a sixth level higher than the fifth level.
 27. The methodof claim 26, wherein the third dosage of API to the human is at a timearound 6:00 p.m. to about 8:00 p.m.
 28. The method of claim 26, whereinthe API comprises Levodopa.